Firefly
by MagicalInsanity
Summary: After an entire summer in the West house, Tori thinks her friendship with Jade might just collapse, but witnessing an event on the goth's birth eve, things just might change... Will she manage to slip through the defenses of the Goth, and be able to help her? Just who is the young man just etched in every window of the house? Jori. T for intense scene.
1. Prologue: I will never let you go

_Disclaimer_: I do not own Victorious, it belongs to Dan and Nickelodeon. Also, this chapter's inspiration: '_Glad You Came_' by The Wanted and '_Spectrum_' by Zedd; might use the songs later on.

**Warning**: Jade-centric. Simply put: the show focuses on Tori, meaning the biggest freedom I have is playing with family from the other characters. Since this is Jade/Tori, there are certain aspects that I can exploit about the Goth as a character. The lack of background allowed me to dive in. In general: if you're not fan of Jade, leave; if you're not fan of Jori, leave; if you're bothered by random OCs, leave (note: OCs are not main focus, but appear frequently). Lastly, I hope you give it a try.

Updates: every month Wednesday/Thursday, depending on time zone; the more reviews, the sooner I'll update (say 15 and I update the next day). Since its Sunday, and this is a prologue, next week I'll update the first chapter.

Note: I'm working on interludes, Actorfic, that would work well if posted along with the story. These are short, but sadly, its against policy to publish them. So, I'll just signal when there should be an interlude, these don't affect the story directly so are more for my own amusement. If anyone is interested in the interludes, send me a PM or express on the review that you would like to see them along with an e-mail address so that I can send it. Also of note: Title subject to change.

* * *

Prologue: I will never let you go

"One more night, Tori," she whispered to herself, staring with some dread at the forlorn and desolate house, sighing at her own _pep_ talk. "Just... One more night..."

Tori would be leaving tomorrow for home, sweet home, and she had never felt more thankful. She thought that Trina was demanding, but she had never felt more emotionally drained than last week. It had been less than kind on their already fragile relation, and so, in her search for some peace and quiet, with an effort of not grating on her housemate's nerves, the tanned teen had left early, incredibly early. Still so, Tori hated the fact that there wasn't much she could do in order to salvage the relation, since that was an effort from both parties involved. But, the Latina being how she was, she had to try. So she had left the house with a breakfast ready for her Goth friend and came back bearing gifts to at least mend something. Something had been bothering her, like a tingling in the back of her mind and she couldn't help the fact that she was forgetting something, but no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't remember.

She looked back at the house, and felt a pang of fear and dread when she noticed there was something on the window. Perhaps she was being banned from the place ahead of time, for leaving so early in the morning? But, it was an image, etched and engraved and done with plenty of care and devotion... How Jade had managed to even add color was beyond her, and it scared her deeply to consider the fact that, perhaps, it was her death proclamation. The Latina welcomed the distraction of her phone, as a previously set alarm went off with a notice. She froze, the notice left her paralyzed and rooted to the spot; it was July 26, the Goth's birthday (she had requested a late notice as to not aggravate the teen with an early message or call). Now feeling nauseous, weak, and completely out of her comfort zone, she really wanted the image to show her gruesome death. It would help her deal with the guilt; how could she possibly leave a friend alone on their birthday? Tori took a deep, shuddering breath, her mind going a mile a minute, trying to figure out what to do. At least her peace offering now had another meaning; she had thought luck was on her side when she went to buy a few cupcakes as an offering, and found one with a unique frosting of scissors. Now, it felt like it was meant to be; she might just make it through to the other girl, and through her guilt.

Her musings left her snapping at attention once she realized her own feet had led her to the door. Once there, with a dry throat, she risked a glance at the window, and she noticed it was the picture of a young man, probably around their age, couldn't be more than seventeen or eighteen. Tori found herself entranced by the image; he was pale, had green-blue eyes, had auburn hair, but it was spiked and the tips of it were black, and there was something unique about the way he had been carved on the window... the relief was pristine and clear, it was almost as if the boy was there. She noticed that several different images of him were carved in all the windows, which had been painstakingly done, and she could feel the pain expressed through them. The Latina knew, immediately, that _this_ was what her friend spent her entire day doing.

Opening the door, her hazel eyes fell upon another image of the boy, holding a pair of scissors. Engraved, colored (how _did_ Jade _colored_ it?!), relief evident, making the young man feel real, as if he was there, the image etched on the wall. She was awed upon the amount of work done, and noticed that the entire place, although demolished, destroyed, and completely wreaked (she was embarrassed by the fact she had, in one way or another, helped with the destruction), was a shrine to the boy. Tori felt uncomfortable right then; was Jade in love with this boy? It certainly appeared that way, but then, why would she be with Beck? She began searching the place, looking for the Goth around the house. First stop, the kitchen, to leave the cupcakes and to be certain that, perhaps, that place had been left intact. There was no sign of life, the breakfast she had prepared had been left right where she had left it, as if her companion hadn't even bothered or felt hunger. As her search continued she decided to change into more comfortable clothes, but refused to consider taking a shower, as Jade was still M.I.A. She grew worried the more she dwelled into the belly of the beast; she had evaded at all costs entering the one room her friend had, without hesitation, threatened her with her favorite pair of scissors. In the end, it was the only room she hadn't searched; it was also the only one that still had its door intact. Heat filled her cheeks as she remembered how hard they had both been slamming doors around the place, and some were off their hinges already, but at least still functional, barely.

"Jade?" She asked softly as she entered the room, and was awed by the image that greeted her.

In the setting sun, she could see the room was dark; its wallpaper had scissors on columns in a black background, had candles everywhere, black candles, all of them lighted up with, somehow, blue-green flames. The bed was four-post with black drapes, and she could see scissors' carved delicately into each post. The room by itself was dark and somber without the setting sun's help, and was intact; the Goth had obviously carved the images within the walls and windows with some scissors that were besides her. The pale female lay in front of a picture that was obviously drawn with care: an angel with hair the color of honey, skin pale as snow, and beautiful blue-green eyes. Tori could tell it was Jade. She managed to register all this in a matter of seconds as she noticed her friend, tears stained, raising half of a scissor in her hand, and the Latina could tell things would go badly if her friend managed to touch her portrait.

All she could do was react; hesitating would mean a complete collapse of everything they had. She had no idea how she managed to cross the floor so quickly, or how she didn't doubt when she grabbed the other's girl wrist. It was just the way Jade initiated contact to either drag her somewhere, it was always the wrist; she had time to register the irony before it escaped her as hazel met blue, disturbingly deep blue. Where was Jade?

The Goth released the scissor she held and it fell with a clatter on the floor against its half, and another two, broken scissors. Tori saw the gleam of metal, but her heart was already beginning to tear as she saw her friend's lip wobbling. This wasn't at all how it was like when she had broken with Beck, it was almost as if she had lost all will to live and even try to continue on living. _This, was why she didn't eat breakfast_, the tanned female realized, _she actually _wants_ to die, as if that was the natural course..._ and her lifeline, Beck, wasn't there, no solid ground or figure to trust. As if she had made peace with the fact that she was meant to die and was just waiting to meet death.

"I'm here," the Latina whispered, embracing Jade softly, warmly, willing to be that lifeline, that steady ground, and she knew that despite their latest and out-of-scale tantrum, the pale female trusted her. "I'm here, and I... I won't let you go."

Her words made Jade give up and hold on to her as her sobs caused her body to shake and tremble, and her tears, the sheer force of them, didn't help matter, moving her delicate frame as though they were in the middle of an earthquake. For all Tori knew, the pale girl's earth was being shattered. After what felt like ages, the Goth finally calmed, and with a gentle tanned hand guiding her, she was tucked into the bed in that room. The Latina felt relief at the fact that her friend was still in her pjs, and although it would have been better to force her to take a shower, she didn't feel comfortable leaving the misunderstood writer alone at the moment. Said misunderstood human was much more composed, and with empty now-green eyes, she turned to give her back to her savior.

"You can go now," it was amazing how she sounded as though she hadn't been crying ten seconds ago; her throat was probably parched, but Tori feared that she would lock herself in the room if she left.

Since she was in sweat shorts already, and a comfortable shirt, she decided to send everything else to hell and joined the Goth on the bed. The Latina remembered the first time she had woken in the strange house and how Jade had, without hesitation, dragged her to her room and allowed her to sleep with her, if only to keep her calm. Right now, it was time to return the favor. Despite their current down, she was unable to allow her friend to dwell in misery. Tori felt fortunate that those broken scissors were far from them; she was afraid, all things said. Taking courage along with a breath, and she slipped beneath the covers.

"I said—"

"That I wouldn't let you go," the tanned teen interrupted, placing a hand on the others' hip; she could tell the Goth was scowling, "this is me, not letting go."

"Screw you, Vega," Jade whispered with pure malice, turning around, probably ready to hit her again, but once their eyes met, something changed, and she couldn't go through with it. "Ugh, I don't care, do what you like."

"I will," she whispered after a while, taking her hand back and turning to give her back to the disgruntled raven haired. Morning couldn't come soon enough. _One more night..._ she sighed; that one last night hadn't gone at all how she had planned.

For her part, Jade took solace on the girl besides her, on the comforting heat of the other's body, and sneaking a peak at her own portrait, she felt as her heart's constriction were slowly being released. Had she actually gone through with it... Death would actually be the least of her worries. She felt the rhythmic stance that told her the Latina was asleep.

"I'm..." She swallowed a bit, then smiled; had the tanned teen left her, she would have locked the door, and she knew that she knew. "Glad you came."


	2. Chapter 1: Exposed Hearts

_Disclaimer_: I do not own Victorious, it belongs to Dan and Nickelodeon. Also, this chapter's inspiration: '_I Knew You Were Trouble_' by Taylor Swift; song may be subject to future use.

Note: As promised, it's Wednesday and I'm posting chapter 1; see you in a month, xD

_Interlude 1: First Scene_

* * *

Chapter 1: Exposed Hearts

When everyone heard that Tori Vega and Jade West had to share a house during the summer... They feared the worst to say least. They were certain that, despite the fact that they had become friends, they couldn't be left alone for long periods of time, and three weeks and a half had to exceed the time limit. Why did they have to share a house for so long? Well... Mr. West had his own place to worry about, Mr. Vega had several out-of-town seminars to attend to in order to gain the detective rank, and meanwhile, Tori's mom, Holly, was with Trina helping her get set on her university on the big apple, while Ms. West had left for a trip.

The gang actually feared the worst; it was their last year and Tori definitely deserved to at least graduate. Everyone feared that they wouldn't be able to see Cat live it through but never thought they would have to worry about the Latina in such aspect.

"Oh, do you think Tori will give us the new scores?" asked the bubbly redhead, in reference to the fact that the group kept scores on the dysfunctional relation of the two girls.

"Girl, can't you see?" André asked back, and at the cute frown, he proceeded to explain. "For all we know there's a tanned body buried somewhere."

"Oh no..." But, this is Cat, "wait, who?"

The gang sighed, and when they caught sight of Tori entering the halls she was promptly hugged by the company, it being slightly awkward with Robbie. Then they began to drill her with questions but only managed to overwhelm her, and by the time the Goth appeared, she forgot them promptly and went to her, completely worried.

"Jade—"

"Not now, Vega," she replied with plenty of bite, but stopped right in front of her best friend, who blocked her path, "what is it, Cat?"

The last thing she wanted was to scare the ditz away, but she couldn't help her scathing tone. School had begun, and she was already thrown in the middle of something. What the hell?

"I am glad to see you," was all the redhead said before hugging her; everyone was shocked when the Goth slumped into it, sighed, and actually hugged the redhead back; it didn't last long however. "Now, I need those broken scissors; last time you brought them to school, you were suspended."

Jade made an irritated sound, but everyone was surprised to see her passing Cat three aluminum cases, which were opened and see the Goth placed some scissor's half. Tori immediately recognized them as the tools used during the carving process; one pair had a Chinese dragon, the other had an orange bird, most likely a phoenix, and the last one had an image of an angel. Once they were all in their cases, the bubbly teen looked sadly at all three.

"You really should fix them," she said, concern in her dark chocolate eyes, "time to let go..."

Everyone was shocked by the seriousness of the situation, and more so by the fact that Cat wasn't ruining it, instead fomenting it. Then several noticed that even the Latina had some inside knowledge, so to speak, or could at least follow the conversation to some extent. Had thing, perhaps, gone better than imagined? There was one, simple and single reason for them not to send their Goth friend birthday greetings on TheSlap; they all knew that it was a delicate subject and date. It was almost as if she posted that it was her birthday just for the sake of not forgetting it, although she hadn't posted it that summer...

"Yeah, maybe you're right..." It was the only reply, and when the Latina made motion to place a comforting hand, and this time, not even the narrowed blue eyes or the snarl in her mouth made the tanned hand stop, so she hissed at her. "Do_n't_ you _dare_ touch me, Vega."

But all that only made Tori smile softly, and the only thing Jade did was move on before said hand could be placed. Beck was by her side with his calm and casual smile, giving her a one-armed hug. Classes went on as usual, with their bare-foot teacher going through in his unorthodox way and piling them with assignments, although, curiously, everyone could see Cat going around with more pep and nuttiness than was common. Lunch was a buzzing affair since she was involved, and her smile was contagious, for everyone but her best friend, Jade. The Latina caught some vibe that, perhaps, the redhead could shed some light on the happenings.

Tori managed to catch the extra bubbly teen before the end of lunch, as André had to get his props in order for his next class and Robbie had an appointment with Lane and Rex. Beck and Jade... Well, they were probably getting all mushy, but this only made the Latina more worried; what about the pale boy of the Goth's dream?

"What is it Tori?" Cat asked, clearly becoming hyper.

"Why are those scissors broken?" The Latina asked with worry and sorrow; her hazel eyes bore down on their darker counterpart, and she could tell that her enthusiastic friend's mood was dampened immediately. "I just want to learn more; her birthday was spent carving a handsome boy on windows and walls, and I found her deep inside a dark room, the type I thought she would have, staring at her portrait, where she has honey hair and angel wings, about to tear on it with the dragon scissor—"

"Oh my God!" The news was upsetting, and she could see those chocolate eyes glistening with tears. "Tell me you stopped her!"

Cat took her by the shoulders and _shook_, usual soft eyes now resembled her best friend's in intensity. There was certain degree of desperation for the answer to be positive, and once she nodded to confirm this, she was crushed by the embrace. But the words of thanks were enough to help her realize that her friend needed it, and that the seriousness would only be seen in such points. Finally, she was released, and she took deep breaths to release some of the ache and burning in her lungs. They looked into each other's eyes, and the redhead knew that it didn't matter much if Jade didn't want others to learn the truth, they both owed Tori _at least_ an explanation; she sighed at the realization.

"That boy... He's Jade's older brother, a child prodigy and gifted musician, we both loved him, and I would often chastise him for looking at other, older girls, since I was determined to be his bride," all the seriousness, something not seen on the redhead, left the Latina with a certainty that she preferred her normal, bubbly and ditzy friend; those eyes were lifeless, "and he would laugh, but he did mean it when he said he would propose when I was a star. He was always motivating our creativity."

"Does he have auburn, spiked hair?" The question obviously brought more pain, so she tried going with a different line of thought. "Wait, what does he have to do with the scissors?"

"When he turned fifteen, he was requested to perform in China during a summer event of theirs, and his charisma granted him the spot; that, and his magnificent ability." Cat got lost in the past, a ghost of her usual charming smile appeared, but this one too was devoid of life. "Since that's the time of her birthday, he made sure to send her a pair of scissors; first came the ones with the dragon, since he often boasted that in his past life he had been a dragon, and always added that so was Jade. The next year, he sent her the one of the phoenix, with a note that said that every dragon needs a phoenix, and the following year, it was the one of the angels..."

"Scissors?" It was the only thing Tori could say after a few moments of silence; the redhead was reminiscing and the brunette was mulling over the information. "Why scissors?"

Cat chuckled; the sound was hollow. "He was the one who introduced her to _The Scissoring_."

"That explains an awful lot..." Another silent spell, this time, it was an uncomfortable sort, and the Latina had to break it. "How come she doesn't have more? How did they break?"

"He died abroad that third summer," the tone left the words as whispers, and Tori whipped around to see her friend, and she could tell that it was taking a toll just speaking of it, "when she woke, she found the scissors already broken, and even though she told her parents to call her brother, they wouldn't listen; it wasn't until they received a call, sometime after her insistence, that they learned the truth, but it was already too late."

Tears began falling and Tori held her as she cried silently. How could both girls continue on living after suffering so much was a shock, but then, from what she could tell, Jade had been awaiting death because she had been waiting to have his age; she probably couldn't handle living beyond her brother. Everything seemed so clear, but one small detail.

"This happened on her birthday, right?" A nod was all she needed, and she nodded in reply; the last scissors were probably received broken as well. "Cat, how can you be so upbeat all the time?"

It was as if a switch had been pressed; the tears stopped, and she gave the tanned teen the biggest smile ever. "He said that I was his shining sun, and that it was this that he valued the most in me; he would tell me: 'never change'.

"Wait, what are we talking about?" They had both been deeply affected, the ditzy and perpetually bubbly redhead was the only way she could cope with the loss and honor his wishes; that and the genes in her body.

"Nothing," was the brief reply, _no one_, and it was true; she didn't even know the boy's name, much less his music and besides, the bell rang. "Come on, we got class..."

* * *

Meanwhile, Beck was trying hard to understand his girlfriend. He mentally cursed himself; ex-girlfriend. She couldn't return with him, and all he could do was scowl softly and sadly. What had happened? He asked as much.

"I..." She took a deep and frustrated breath, running a hand through her brown/black hair. "I don't know Beck, I truly don't know. Can you tell me why you want to return with me? Honestly, I love you" he beamed "but..."

"But?" He pressed delicately.

"I am no longer sure if I know what it means to love," her reply was so honest and without hesitation, that he could tell there was something deeper, she just didn't know it herself, "as I read somewhere: I love you, but I'm not _in_ love with you."

He chuckled bitterly, his eyes pained, and blue met dark chocolate (bitter sweet, just how she liked it), and all they could do was smile at each other. It was a pained smile, but slowly, they transformed into delicate and calm smiles, their eyes restless and searching deep within the other. It was then that Beck realized something, and he chuckled once again; this time, it was a tad less bitter.

"You know, when we met, I knew you were troubled, I knew you were _trouble_, and that was what drew me in to you; I've always been a model student, always well behaved, always prudent and well-mannered, so never in trouble." He smiled at her, and she grinned back, knowing where he was going with it. "It's how I convinced my parents to get me the RV.

"But, I also knew that you had some deep scars," his smile turned sad, "I truly wanted to help you overcome all that, and I thought I was the one when we began talking..."

"We had clicked back then," she placed her hand over his, and the contact didn't send goose bumps anymore, "and even though we weren't officially dating but until a day later, no other girl approached because they could see the chemistry."

"But, as the years passed, you never disclosed the reason for your scars," he took her hand in his, a delicate frown etched on his features, "I never pressed it, and I won't start now, but I guess I cannot help you, I'm just, not the one."

"I am _truly_ sorry, Beck," she whispered, eyes averted; perhaps if she were used to speaking that word, she would have been able to face him as she spoke, and as she swallowed on a dry throat, she realized he deserved that much. This was _Beck_, for crying out loud! So, turning green on chocolate, she repeated the word. "I'm sorry..."

They kissed softly, nothing too deep, just to make sure that they were both on the same page. He obviously still cared deeply as he sighed in regret, eyes closed. Now Jade was worried; could he truly let her go? But once he opened his eyes, she could tell that he understood it was for the best. Her eyes betrayed her worries, and he chuckled again, sadly; it was funny, he never had venom.

"Jade, I would fight, but there's no opponent," she winced at his words, and felt the pain she always did when it was her birthday, coming back in full force. Would no boy be good enough when compared to the ghost of her brother? "A relation involves two, and it's easy to see you cannot fight it."

She looked away once again, eyes in pain. _I bet you never thought you would cause me this amount of trouble, huh? To be fair, neither did I..._ Maybe it was time to come clean? Then again, there really wasn't much to say about it, and she hated the fact that she would develop some sort of incest-like complex. Cat would certainly abandon all defenses and kill her on the spots, using her very own scissors, the ones gifted and from the movie. But then, she had agreed on fixing the gifts her brother had given her, which was a step forward, perhaps for them both. She turned back to look at Beck, who gave her his easygoing smile, and she smiled back, bitterly; she couldn't take that step with him. They had already tried that, but it hadn't worked so they had to move on. Then his word choice caught up to her and she looked at him with shock plastered on her face, and he grinned back. They left the Black Box Theater together, laughing, her eyes now shining with their usual confidence as she punched him lightly on the arm.

"You knew I was _trouble_?!" She demanded, laughing, and he grinned as he walked right behind her.

"You could write a song with that as the title."

"Then you would have to sing it," she replied mischievously, and he narrowed his gaze.

"I refuse. I won't get in trouble that easily," he teased her.

"Beck Oliver, I never thought I would say this but, are you a coward now?" She asked him with a smirk as he hugged her with one arm, kissing her temple, and she smiled at him, happy to at least have her best friend. "Ah, saved by the bell."

The bell rang as Tori and Cat left the classroom where they had been talking. When the Latina saw Jade and Beck, she thought that they had gotten back together until they lost contact, and just smiled at each other. At least, until the Goth noticed her best friend and, although no one else would be able to tell that the redhead had been crying, the glare from those now-emerald eyes bore down the tanned female, snarl tugging on her lips as a savage growl left them and she went to the bubbly ditz. Obviously, Jade could tell.

It was an unusual exchange, their eyes met, the pale teen's eyes turning a soft blue, while her friend looked at the ground, her lower lip wobbling into an adorable pout, and Jade gave her a hug. The unusualness of the entire affair was the fact that it didn't look awkward, as if she was wont on the art of hugging. Beck and Tori exchanged bewildered glances, especially when the not so brief hug was ended, and both girls stared into each other's eyes; Cat released a shuddering breath, which prompted another hug, this one brief, and once again at arm's length, she cleared the redhead of tears that hadn't even begun their trail down the cheeks. They pressed their foreheads together, and it was evident that the bubbliness came out in double doze; skipping off, Cat went to her last class.

For her part, Jade, with her snarl back in place and her scissors out, approached Tori with a death sentence written. Her eyes were now blazing blue, rage evident. The two girls had spoken enough and before Beck could stop his best friend, he was shocked when the Latina stepped forward, arms open, as if welcoming death with an embrace, her hazel eyes glistening. It shocked the Goth as well, who stopped and so, it was her turn to be hugged.

"Jade, I promised you," she whispered as Beck averted his brown eyes from the sight, "I won't let you go."

"Vega..." She sighed in defeat, she then scowled and pushed the tanned body at arms' length, hand tight arround her now closed scissors and hissed, "You had no right to press her for it."

"She needed it," was the whisper, concern shining through, "you need it..."

"Um, girls," the moment was interrupted by the leader, who pointed to his wrist, "class."

They broke apart, and began following Beck. Why couldn't things be simple? They looked at each other, wary, but Tori knew better than to miss a class, especially since the odds of getting stuck with each other wasn't high. Beck breathed in relief; crisis averted. Green eyes turned to his, and though he questioned his best friend, she was unable to come clean about it all. He shrugged; pressing the girl further could prove to be fatal, besides, she would act as if nothing had happened, and even though she loved him, he wouldn't be safe from her wrath this time and Cat had probably forgotten. Definitely better pretend it had never happened, it was the most prudent course of action. As it had been established, he wasn't one to get in trouble.

* * *

Up next: honesty strikes! Tori already knows too much, and the last thing Jade wants or needs is an out-of-sorts Cat. Since when does Tori know how to pull strings and manipulate others? That certainly how it feels to Jade, but since the Latina knows enough, a little more shouldn't hurt. Right?


	3. Chapter 2: Pulling Strings

_Disclaimer_: I do not own Victorious, it belongs to Dan and Nickelodeon. Also, this chapter's inspiration: '_Sweet Nothing_' by Calvin Harris feat Florence Welch; song may be subject to future use.

Special thanks to the-original-lovelace, for betaing, and to StakeTheHeart for beta-counseling.

* * *

Chapter 2: Pulling Strings

It had been several days since all the hugging; at least Tori hadn't said a word about the entire incident, and Cat's defenses wouldn't allow her to remember. For their part, the dynamic couple was still as close as ever, though the affection display was one-sided, but Beck didn't seem to mind; at least she was comfortable enough for them to touch. It just wasn't so frequent though, their hugs were from his part and one-armed, as well as the kisses, which were even less and to the temple. Every single girl knew that the fluffy haired teen was available, and a few days ago, his fan club went to bite Jade's head off. Too bad their plan backfired, and quite sweetly too.

_"Hey West!" A girl called from the safety of the crowd, "if you aren't with Beck anymore, why do you follow him around!?"It was a solid question, since, despite not being a couple, they still hanged out. Of course, this meant most chicks were afraid to be open about their feelings, fearing her as they obviously should. This exclamation was greeted with plenty of agreement from the mob, and the only thing the Goth had to show for herself was her pierced eyebrow craned. The gang was around when it all happened, and it was André who intervened, placing himself between the ladies. Beck just leaned against some lockers, confusion obvious on his face."Ladies, ladies!" The African-American began, calling attention to himself; although most girls protested, they finally quieted down. "You don't get it, do you?""Huh?""They just don't get it," Beck replied with a smirk."Yeah, I noticed," his friend teased with an equal smirk. "Girls, here is the big picture: Jade isn't following Beck around, he is following her around!""Why would he do that?""Yeah, Beck isn't that stupid!""No, you are the stupid ones!" The pale female hissed, a snarl marring her delicate features. "Really, do they need it spelled?!""I'm not sure spelling would be enough," Rex exclaimed; Beck rolled his eyes at his friends' antics but he was obviously enjoying it. André gave the puppet his 'I know' look, then went back to look at the girls."Ya really think he enjoys being surrounded by y'all?" André demanded."No, he doesn't," Robbie said softly with a frown; really, if the ventriloquist could tell, then those girls were more stupid than they appeared to be."He hangs around me to keep you vapid morons at bay!" Jade said with disgust, this evident as she turned around, eyes rolling. "Ugh!"_

_Snarl still in place, the Goth began stomping down the hall and to their next class, hands in fists; it was surprising she wasn't flailing her arms in sheer exasperation, but considering this was Jade, it wasn't that surprising._

_The crew didn't bother further and left, all but a certain someone. The only one who felt a twinge of remorse was the Latina, who lagged behind a little. Cat came bouncing around, calling something about having found a unicorn behind the clique."Urgh! She just doesn't want to admit it," the instigator whispered, seething, "she still wants him all for herself...""Maybe Tori actually stands a better chance?" One , as soon as the question was asked, the tanned teen found herself being watched by hundreds of pairs of eyes, a sea of colors, and she found her hazel orbs rolling. Those girls didn't make themselves appreciated then, and when she remembered how they followed Beck around as he left and went to school, all those 'bad feelings' regarding the harsh words vanished._

* * *

"We have the Halloween prompt," Beck called during lunch, and everyone looked up. "We have to dominate this one."

He placed the poster down on the table, and Tori looked about confused, turning to André for an explanation. Too bad they were all too busy looking at the flyer, all but Jade who, of course, couldn't care less; they were going to nail it, no matter what. But, since she wasn't staring, when those hazel eyes turned to search for some help, face scrunched in total confusion, she snarled and rolled her eyes; the Latina was infuriating.

"Vega, next time, do a little research on the school you're transferring to," she said with some bite; in their effort to keep away from each other (Jade couldn't handle the weakness Tori had witnessed; far too different a mess from dumping Beck, much less forgive for the whole mess with the redhead) they sat on opposite ends, meaning they were in front of each other. "Since we are actors, and Halloween is a time for costumes, there are prompts for all seniors to come dressed as: we've had creatures of the night, pirates, monsters and many others. It has been a long standing tradition."

"Oh," was the tanned female could say, blushing, making the Goth roll her eyes, _again_, "thanks."

Beck motioned for Sinjin, who had just entered the Asphalt Café after a text exchange. Jade frowned at this, until she noticed how everyone was dumbstruck and went to finally check what the flyer said. The theme was superheroes. Well then...

"I take Poison Ivy," she said with a raised hand, "Cat can be Cat Woman."

"What's that supposed to mean?!" Cat was obviously taking it the wrong way, until she realized what her best friend meant after a brief pause, "oh, yay!"

"Excuse me but, I believe that those girl over there," Sinjin pointed at the table with girls on it, obviously fawning over Beck, sat, "I believe they have taken those;" everyone's phone beeped, and it was a message from their creepy friends with a site in which to place the name of their hero in order to not get repeats; Poison Ivy and Cat Woman were, indeed, taken, as was Wonder Woman and the amazons. "So, I've come here to lend my expertise on the subject. I suggest we take on the Teen Titans."

He said it in a hushed whisper, but everyone just stared at him, as if he had lost his mind.

"Since he _is_ helping us, he should join us," Beck said with his usual ease, and everyone reluctantly agreed. "So, my friend, what have you got for us?"

"It's a team comprised of teens with super powers," he said, hushed, as he passed each of them a manila envelope, "now, you'll find a description of your character, and why, besides some apparent physical matching and on others not so physical, they are the best choices. There are also some other qualities in regarding wardrobe that you might like."

"Yo, Sinjin," André called to attention, as he showed everyone his character was named Cyborg and that he would need a metallic suit to pull it off; then they saw that, instead of a cannon of energy blaster, it was made so that he could extend a flat piano, "how come you did this with only a few minutes since Beck's text?"

"I had it prepared," the young man replied, pushing his glasses up, making the crystals shine, "I also had other prompts planned just in case, but I think all the characters fit (even if I say so myself…)"

Throughout the conversation, Tori wasn't the only one who noticed how silent Jade had turned, how her pale knuckles were translucent and the white being seen was that of the bone. Beck placed a comforting hand on her shoulder; none of them had opened their envelopes.

"Good job, Boy Wonder," she told him, almost spat in a bitter fashion, and everyone was shocked by this, although all surprise left when she stood and left.

"Tor," the leader said, and with a nudge of his head, requested her to go follow their Goth friend. She dropped her folder on the table and did as asked without question.

There was one place in the entire school where she would find the Goth; the janitor's closet, however, was devoid of life, and she frowned at this. On a hunch, she went to the Black Box Theater, since her friend was a thespian first, but nothing. Where _could_ she be? On a whim this time, she went to the room where André felt most at home, figuring since she now had to check the entire school grounds, beginning by any room was as good as it was bound to get. The room was filled with all kinds of gizmos and instruments, acoustic and electronic, perfect for creating sounds and editing and remixing. She was surprised when the Goth seemed to appear out of nowhere, actually playing the harp of all instruments. It was a classic song, originally written for piano, and it was completely soothing. It calmed both girls, allowing the brief silence that was created to be calm and peaceful. The silence didn't last long, but it wasn't cut with scissors either. The music helped the one playing the instrument keep relaxed, though it was clear that she didn't enjoy being intruded. She was conflicted, to say least: Tori knew too much, enough to prove to be a danger around Cat, but for the redhead's sake, maybe she should come clean with the Latina. The strings kept her fingers relaxed, which helped her not despair over her now-overwhelming feelings that never did her any good. This was the main reason why she didn't bother with them, but the brunette in front wouldn't allow those to simple settle. For the sake of her best friend's sanity, and perhaps due to her own need of finally confiding in someone, or maybe it was because she was playing _his_ favorite on _his_ favorite, that managed to make her defenses falter. Then again, it could be because the girl right before her had proved herself time and time again, actually helping her despite the way she kept on treating the tanned singer. Was she growing weak? She _did_ need someone to finally confide in, and she was certain that Vega had the potential to be that person. Finally, everything caught up within her, and she felt as though a dam was broken within.

"His name was Jasper, called Jazz even though he only played string instruments," she answered the unspoken question, "I'm not frequent in their use, but I would become entranced when he did. I would memorize the movement of his hands and be capable of replicating it exactly; after a while, with my ear, I was able to pick up the amount of pressure to apply. The harp was always his favorite...

"He would have been perfect," she whispered after a while, "he loved the show, would watch it with me and Cat, and he would have been a great Robin," she took a deep, shuddering breath. "Actually, I guess he would take on Nightwing, considering ages and all that..."

The silence was heavy, and the music continued to flood the air. Why was Jade disclosing all this? The Latina was far too involved already, and she had to get the situation across on how bad it would be for their ditz if any word of it came out. But that was just part of her, her overprotective side for the redhead, and the other part was inclined on finally releasing her burden. She then stopped playing, unable to continue playing his favorite melody.

"Jade, I might not have lost someone, but I can tell you this," a tanned hand was placed softly over her pale one, but the cold skin told her the Goth didn't feel her warmth; she didn't stop. "It's not strange to compare them to everyone else."

Those words got a reaction, and the pale female slapped her hand away, as if she had been burned. "Do not make this look like some kind of twisted incest—" She stopped, blushing, once again her snarl appearing; the Latina feared the delicate face would be a perpetual scowl.

"It's because you're here," it was a whisper, "and he's not; you never wanted that, never wanted to be without him. It's normal."

Then the door was opened and a woman with honey blonde hair, pale skin, and blue-green eyes appeared. Tori could tell that it was Jade's mother, and she became as pale as both females; had the Goth's mom heard? But it was obvious that her attention was focused on her child, so she probably didn't. They would be very much alike if Jade's hair hadn't been dyed.

"Amber," the pale teen began, voice dripping with mild irritation, "how nice of you to be here; shouldn't you be helping Uncle Gary get himself a woman?"

"Jay," really, was that her nickname? Tori raised an eyebrow, action made at the same time by the studded brow, "since I'm your mother and Holly's secretary, I was tasked with finding you before lunch finishes."

"Fuck off, Amber," those blue eyes were like steel at the moment, "you're too late to try to begin acting like my mother, eleven years too late!"

"Jade—"

"Stop it!" The eyes were green now, but distant; the Latina thought her gothic friend would cry. "You didn't fight for dad, and you didn't fight for me; you have no right to call me by the name my mother gave me, and she _is dead_."

With that, she turned to leave, but of course, her mother wouldn't let her off so easily, even though they didn't have much time left before lunch was done.

"I was forbidden from getting near that house after you turned eighteen, you know this," as if that was excuse enough, even though she didn't want to give Gary that much trouble. "Only you can change that."

"You could have come and told me to reconsider," was that Jade speaking? She had never used that tone, not even with Cat... "You could have fought to be with me..."

"Would you have agreed?"

"I would have considered it."

Tori's wrist was grabbed and they left the studio and found their friends looking for them. Beck gave Jade a weird look, probably because she knew the characters. Robbie and Cat were talking to Sinjin, wondering if he had mistaken their characters.

"Tori, you could be Terra!" Robbie said as he sprinted over; a studded brow was raised, this time towards the creepy stalker.

"How come he is Terra?" She asked seriously. "Given the fact that Tori was the last to join, I must agree with Robbie here."

"Tori fits Starfire's profile better," this surprised the Goth even more, who frowned softly; everyone was quiet, since it was such a bizarre event in which she didn't try to kill the lanky boy.

"Then, Cat is...?" She was scared of finding out; Tori passed her a burrito that the others had gotten for them, the Latina was already biting into hers and the Goth soon followed suit.

"Why do I get stuck being a boy?" The redhead whinnied, and it was then that it hit her best friend just whom she was and she laughed after swallowing.

"Cat, you get to wear elf ears," Jade said after a while of calming her mirth, "besides, since your brother already knows how to dye himself purple, he might be able to tell you how to get green."

"Yay! Elf ears!" Then something dawned on her and she began pouting. "Wait, my skin would clash against my lovely red velvet hair."

"You would look good," was all the Goth said before taking another bite, and apparently, that was all she needed.

"Wait, so why am I ... Star, fire?" She pronounced it with some hesitation, but it would seem all she needed was for the pale teen to nod before taking her phone out and registering. Everyone else did the same, everyone but Robbie, who was having a quiet fight with Rex, "okay, so why?"

"Because, even though Star is a bubbly and cheerful ditz," everyone turned to Cat as Sinjin spoke, "she is also serious and quite resilient when it comes to helping her friends."

Everyone agreed right then with the creep and turned to stare at Robbie, who was still fighting, trying to keep Rex quiet; he was bitten for his effort.

"Ouch!" The ventriloquist exclaimed, placing his finger on his mouth.

"Stop your whining and get our names registered already!" The puppet demanded, making Robbie whine.

"Okay, I must ask," Jade had a smirk, "whom will you be puppet?"

"Wicked Witch," this didn't take the smirk off, which pissed said puppet, "I, am Larry!"

"And here I was, thinking you were versed in _sarcasm_," she was bored already, and taking her final bite just as the bell rang, Beck gave her his usual hug and kiss to the temple, and she smiled at him, "later Beck."

Everyone parted ways towards their respective classes, not before threatening the puppeteer into registering. Robbie kept whining, until he realized something and registered as Geoforce, Terra's older brother. At least he got a possible pairing of the franchise; if Cat was Beast Boy, and Beast Boy had something with Terra... It was hard not to consider being the blonde girl. He was happy with his choice but when he finally submitted it, he was stricken to find that the Markovia Prince was taken. He was out of choice, and everyone could hear his cry of agony; Rex and Jade both took pleasure in the scream. What they didn't know was that Sinjin, being the one to set the system up, had rigged the names towards the group. Really, if they chose their crazy redhead to play the titan's redhead, then he had no reason for interfering, but at least he made sure that their close group remained just that, close. Besides, since Jade was obviously Raven, well... He wasn't Killowat by mistake either.

While he marveled at his genius and the other four-eye dwelled on his misery, the Goth began to worry. All she had left was nothing, sweet nothing... Every single man in her life had betrayed her one way or another: her father had never cared, her brother had died, and she realized that the main reason she hadn't been able to return with ever-so-perfect Beck was because of the whole kissing deal during the awards... It had been the turning point; he would eventually realize that he, indeed, could do better. Even long before that, she got with him because he reminded her of Jazz, so all she had been left with was sweet nothing... And it felt _so_ right...

Dance class was one of the few she enjoyed, and when she heard the voice of Florence singing to Calvin Harris' beat to the very song that struck a chord, her body moved in a much more fluid manner, her movements were pronounced, like hers always were, but there was pain in her body language. Tori was her only companion, as Cat was stuck on costume design; the Latina was awed by the display of innate talent and ability. All the while, Jade felt the song, the beats, and the message behind the composition and allowed herself to be consumed by it; in the end, she had no homework assignment from the teacher, as the songs that followed were also beautifully executed. The class concluded with _She Wolf (Falling To Pieces)_ by David Guetta, and everyone sat back to enjoy the show, as the Goth was given the honor of performing it; not once during the entire workout did she break a sweat. It was amazing.

* * *

Note: Later chapters are longer, 6k word long or longer. Tell me, should I make the chapters smaller and make more chapters or leave them at that?

_Up Next_: More on Jade's and Jasper's past. Can anyone find a link between the names?


	4. Chapter 3: Late Present

_Disclaimer_: I do not own Victorious, it belongs to Dan and Nickelodeon. Also, this chapter's inspiration: '_Catch My Breath_' by Kelly Clarkson; song may be subject to future use.

Thanks to my betas: the-original-lovelace and StakeTheHeart for their impeccable job and hard work.

Notice: (and I hope it makes you guys happy) the story will now have faster updates due to the fact that I want my October special to occur _during_ October, starting next month... In case you're wondering why: I'm traveling. I'm going to try my best to update without fail but I rather not promise more for this month. So thank Halloween people! _And_... The interludes shall appear every 5 chapters. _This, is __**official**_.

* * *

Chapter 3: Late Present

The day became grim; Jade couldn't tell why she had said all that, why she had told Vega something she had never told anyone. Cat only knew because she had lived the experience, but the pain was enough to break her and leave her hollow; the Goth could only hope that it never happened again or the girl could possibly die. Multiple personalities may be far fetched, but it wasn't too off in regards of the ditz. It was one of the reasons why Jade was so protective of her best friend, why she had been so close to killing Vega without hesitation. But, she had other problems at hand; as she left dance class, she didn't head for her car, since it was now her mother's ex-car. She went straight after the woman herself. The Latina had left the class quickly, not that the pale teen cared at all, but she had had a brief debate with herself in regards to her current objective.

"Mom," she began with ill hidden scorn and Tori, who had to leave with her mother now, the principal, was at the office for that single reason, could see that it was an act, that the Goth was concealing her pain. "What in _chiz_ you doing here?"

"I thought it was time to try to go back to working," was the honest, yet pained reply; they could _see_ the pain, "but costume design had moved too far from what I knew and an old friend offered me a job."

Jade scowled, "that _friend_ being Holly Vega?"

The woman, Amber, took a deep breath before nodding. "Yes." At the questioning raised eyebrow, she blushed softly as she rolled her eyes. "She's an actress; played the role of manager in a series. I'll say no more."

Tori missed the glaring match, match that, begrudgingly, Jade relented. The Latina was in shock from what she had just learned about her mother, and suddenly, it made sense; why she had been hired, why she performed as principal of a prestigious _acting_ school and suddenly... What if Uncle Gary was her father's best friend at work? If Amber lived with Gary now, and those text messages she and Trina had always suspected, the older Vega sibling being much more suspicious... Suddenly, her mind was blissfully blown away, only to be resuscitated when her mother called her name. Unfortunately, she wasn't the only one called to attention by it. A pale face whipped around to see her being witness of the exchange between her and her mother; rage, which was now turning into the first emotional display on her face whenever it concerned the tanned teen, remained, eyes ablaze. With a disgusted sound leaving her snarling lips, Jade turned around and began walking away.

"Ms. Vega!" Her own mother cried, and all _Ms. Vega_ could do was scowl in reply.

"Forget it mom," she said, hazel on hazel, her scowl showing, "we can talk home."

She went to chase her friend as their mothers were left by themselves; the two women looked at each other, shrugged, and then grinned without reserve.

"Well, you heard the kid," Holly said, smiling secretly, "I won't be giving her a ride home it seems, and since you don't have a car..."

"Why, are you saying you'll give me a ride home?" Amber replied, raising an eyebrow, "I must say, I won't deny myself..."

Their actions showed them as being friends, very close friends, so totally opposite of their daughters' actions on the way to the parking lot.

Jade wasn't running, she never fled a scene no matter how uncomfortable it was. Jade West wasn't a runner, especially since she wasn't a coward; she was anything but. She wasn't one to dwell much in the past, truth being that everything else was easily eclipsed by Jasper. This didn't mean, of course, that she would forgive people and she could hold a grudge, but she wasn't _totally_ irrational.

"I'm sorry," Tori exclaimed as she rushed over, "I swear, I wasn't following—"

"No duh Vega," the Latina gave her a puzzled look as they moved towards the front door, "you're car-less, your sister's in college, and since your mother works here, it's logical you'll go home with her."

"Yeah, but—"

"You would have left the room?" Another scoff and they stopped by the Goth's car; she was hesitant towards entering it though, perhaps because it was her mom's, had been. "Let's be real Vega, the secretary's place isn't an office, and if it wasn't you, it could have been anyone else listening.

"Granted, _you_ won't speak about it with others, so you did me a favor," such twisted logic was amazing, mostly because it was sound. "Despite our latest... _down_, I know I can trust you. Come, I can give you a ride for your troubles..."

"I guess I'll risk dying by your hand than take a bus." A sigh accompanied the statement as Jade opened the driver's door, sliding inside.

"You don't have change for the bus, do you?" She asked as she released the passenger's door lock, smirk in place; she also tossed her bag to the back seat.  
"Nope." Tori replied, popping the _p_ as she entered the vehicle.

"God, you're helpless Vega," Jade muttered as she twisted her key on the ignition, and the car came to life; she scowled at it, "how I wish I had a bike..."

"You ride?" Really, how was that surprising? Although the grin that accompanied it was the definition of creepy and sweet; how the Goth managed it was beyond the Latina.

"I don't, but, Jazz did," the last was replied softly, and when nothing was forthcoming, she smirked, "he allowed me to drive his..."

Tori had seen the boy's room, and that statement did little to warm him up to her. Furthermore, it scared her deeply. She could actually picture a little Jade on a bike, but this was scared out of her system as soon as the car revved up. The lot was devoid of life, so her shrill cry was lost; she soon buckled up. After a while, she picked up something, completely ignoring her friend's snicker.

"So Jasper was called Jazz and you're called Jay," she said in wonder, and when her companion rolled her green eyes, she felt her pride being dented, "okay, I need to know: what's up with your names?"

"Is it safe to assume you noticed my mother's?" At the silence, the dark brown locks shook slightly at the negative of her own answer. "Really, if you knew, you wouldn't ask."

"Her name is Amber," she supplied, but when there was no more conversation, she pouted softly, "okay, I still don't get it."

"It was my mother's way of stating that we were her kids." The irritation was evident, and she wasn't going to say anything else if her facial expression meant anything.

"From the way she spoke, it doesn't sound like she had some kind of fascination with earth..." The Latina just shrugged. "Really though, it can't be a family thing, else her brother wouldn't be named Gary..."

Jade smirked at that despite herself. They kept silent for a while, but Tori bit her lower lip, worried where her thoughts were now taking her. Trina, being self-centered and absorbed, was far too protective of her family, or rather, the impact of the family's reputation on her own. So she kept herself ever so vigilant for any little thing that tended to happen with their parents, and had to drag her baby sister along. All she could think about was the fact that her father's partner was named Gary and that her mother was apparently close to him. Then, perhaps, her sister had everything wrong if it turned out that Gary was actually Amber's brother, who now worked with her own mother, Holly. But, there was only one way to dispel all worries.

"Um, Jade," she began as her friend pulled over in front of her place, "your Uncle Gary... Is he a policeman?"

"Yeah," she replied, surprised, "he tends to go all professional on me. Why?"

"Uhhh, just curious," was the hesitant reply, and at the Goth's scowl, she relented a little, "okay, it's—"

"You don't owe me an explanation, Vega," the snarl was back in place, along with the scowl, "now, get lost."

There was a brief silence as the Latina was rooted to the spot briefly, and then turned, "my father's partner in the P.D.'s name is Gary."

"Yeah Vega, I noticed last time I saw him," the pierced eyebrow raised, "as I said, he get professional and does his best not to allow his emotions to get to him. He could have been a decent actor I guess... That still doesn't explain why, Vega."

"Trina suspects something," she began with a sigh and a shrug, "I don't believe her, so I'm unsure of what to say in that regards."

"Don't listen to your sister Vega," the Goth didn't particularly care but her sigh and the massage on her temples that she was giving herself could have fooled anyone, "she's too full of it and tends to blow things out of proportion. That's why she's miserable all the time. Now, get out of my car, or I'll drive us through that desert once again and this time, I'll be going too fast for you to jump out without hurting yourself, and show you why I carry a shovel in the trunk."

Tori jumped from her seat; annoyed, Jade sped off as soon as the Latina had closed the passenger's door. Truth was, her brother had bought a bike, Harley-Davidson of course, but she had never seen it. He had promised to give one to her as a gift once she got her license, but her father had to get in between his promise when she turned sixteen and her mother had done nothing, as always. Once home, she went to his room and opened his closet, where he stored his leather jackets of the bike company, and took comfort in it. Despite everything, the room always smelled as he did, a mix of spices that she loved, but it no longer brought her the usual comfort. She placed the jacket back on the hanger, the black leather still pristine as she cared for them all, and she moved towards her angelic depiction.

Had she been a dragon back then? She then faintly remembered what he told her about that subject: going through to achieve their goals no matter the cost, no matter whom, and giving respect while expecting the same cordiality from those to whom it's given. A creed of sorts; she wasn't meant to do as she wanted but as she needed to achieve her goals, which was one of the reasons why she didn't care about sabotaging Vega whenever the girl got in her way, and it was also one of the reasons why she had been willing to step down during the Music Awards. Tori had shown her that, despite them being at odds, and, according to herself and her brother's words, not owing the Goth even a shred of respect, she had stood beside her when she didn't kiss Beck. It was then that everything had shifted and Jade considered her a friend.

"If this is how you saw me," she whispered, leaning against her portrait that her brother had drawn; it was like they could draw each other and nothing else, "would you be mad at how much I've changed?"

She looked at her rebel star, then smiled faintly as she touched the spot right below her left breast, and took a shuddering breath. Everything appeared to be a sign for her to let go and move on; the lack of comfort, the fact that death hadn't greeted her on her birth's eve, that she had finally agreed for Cat to get the scissors fixed, that she and Beck weren't back together. He had been her comfort for so long, and when she remembered their first meeting as she trashed the entire school with her broken scissors and how similar they were in their ways, being gentlemen, being kind and calmed and always keeping their cool...

But he wasn't Jasper, and there were too many difference to make up for it; although Beck lived in his RV, his mother still cleaned after him, mainly that he was still babied no matter how independent he tried to make himself look. That by itself killed the transparency he tried to portray as well as his maturity, although he definitely was the most mature of the group. Meanwhile Jazz had, unknowingly, taken their father's place, as said man hadn't been able to keep a steady job in too long, and his income as a musician meant he could provide for them all. All his money went to making their little family flourish, and she could see how he was the glue to it all. He made more cash than they needed and actually opened an account for each of them, but once he died, her father's dispute had been mainly over the finances, and she knew things could end up badly for her now that she had turned eighteen.

Jasper had done everything he could to make sure she would be able to be happy; now that she had access to the money, she would be able to produce her own plays. Considering that the money he had saved for himself had been transferred to her account, and how stockholders were in tight contracts that guaranteed they wouldn't be able to wreck her for their own personal gain, this meant an increase in her finances in a drastic manner. The word was exponential, right? She had her life set before her without much worries, but that alone wouldn't guarantee her success, which was what Jazz wanted for her.

Her musing was interrupted by the house bell. Twirling her black ring on her finger, she left the room, partly grateful for the distraction, the engraved dragon on it reminding her of its promise. As she left the room, all thought of its meaning left her as she placed her wards and walls around her. No more tears, no more weakness.

"Mom, what are you doing here?!" She demanded, scowl in place as she opened her door, then her expression softened as the pain became tangible.

"You did it again," Amber replied in accusation; every year she trashed the place and gave it a complete redecoration, every window depicting the life of Jasper West as though he was Jesus and the house, his church. Since her mother couldn't handle it, the house was redecorated yet again afterwards, but not anymore. "Do you _actually_ take joy in _my_ pain?"

Amber didn't even try to enter the house; she already knew that it wouldn't do her any good, so she moved towards the lawn. Good thing there weren't neighbors or at least, direct neighbors; the nosy bunch would need binoculars.

"No, unlike you, I can see it clear as day light," the girl snapped back, scowling but relieved that there were no tears, her eyes hard, "unlike you or dad, neither of you caring since your prodigy and source of income was gone. Suddenly, gone were his pictures! Gone were his instruments! Gone he was, only that _this_ time you both made sure to act as though he never even _existed_... You and I both know that I cannot paint for my life and neither could he, yet he did that picture of me in his room! At least you didn't touch that one, or I would have killed you both as you slept!"

This last was spat, but the flinch on her mother's frame left her smug; despite how it might have sounded, it was no idle threat. She had already gotten herself kicked out of school (_elementary_) for: destroying a classroom, threatening a teacher and making short work of the principal's cherished plant life; she was barely seven then. Both her parents knew how they would push her over the edge if they actually tried changing that room, yet that bastard of a father had actually tried tearing it down just to find a little Jade attached to his arm as he tried to take an object. She had bitten him _so_ hard that he had needed stitches, but it got them the message; it was mercy when they decided to never bother with the room and actually pretended it was another guest room.

"That was never—"

"I guess in hindsight, it was obvious that this would happen," the Goth interrupted through gritted teeth, "since this is my house now, you cannot touch it."

"Jade, honey," her mother began with a sigh; she began crying all through her child's blunt rant, and she passed a hand through her beautiful blonde mane, "you have no idea how much pain every little reminder of his did..."

"And you have no idea how having _no_ reminder meant to me... How much _pain_ that caused..." They were both silent for far too long, in the teen's humble opinion. "Ugh, you know what, leave before I have to call Uncle Gary; at least he won't lock you up."

"I can't," her mother bit her lip, "and you shouldn't worry about calling your uncle."

"Why?"

"Jade, lovely," the kid rolled her eyes, smiling as her uncle chuckled; he was on the passenger's side of a truck, "how's my favorite niece?"

"Waiting for cousins," she replied without hesitation; this time the siblings chuckled, "what's up?"

She then noticed it was a Harley-Davidson truck and she felt her throat becoming dry. The pale thespian turned her green eyes upon her mother's blue, silently demanding for an answer; the older woman smiled sadly at her.

"I learned that you took a bike pass test," Amber said as they began walking to the driveway, "and that you aced it. Jasper, he had commissioned a custom bike, for himself mind you, but since you got your pass, and your father and your age had been the only thing that prevented me from taking action..."

"Your momma talked to our boss, and he knew Jazz," the driver began explaining as he brought over the bike, "I believe they had actually conversed about getting you one."

"I tried to get it for your birthday hon," her mother sounded exhausted, "but he convinced me to add some other mods that your brother and he had talked about for your bike."

"Aye, he was most adamant that you have those," the man said, laughing a bit as he secured the sleek model on its side-stand; she had no idea what those changes could be, but he grinned slightly at her, passing her the keys. "Windshield, for example, is a tad shorter than usual."

Everyone looked at her with some expectation, and she sat upon the bike without noticing. As soon as the engine began humming with life, she breathed in pure joy; her brother had been a speed junkie, and she had acquired the taste. The men whistled as they watched her test driving it, and soon, she was back where she had begun. She looked pensive, turned to the men who were still cheering and complementing her technique, and some even offered handy advice. Jade thanked them as they all went back to the truck, and left, honking loudly and whistling.

"Mom," she said as she noticed the woman moving.

"I think I might be able to get those strings," the woman said softly, face pained, "I'm leaving now..."

"Wait..." She had no idea why she had asked for that, but the dark haired teen knew she had to speak, not that she knew what she was going to say either. "You're welcome back mom just... Just don't take the images away."

Amber took a deep, shuddering breath and looked back at the house, this time seeing beyond the handsome face of her son, swallowing as she tried to focused on the whole picture, and she smiled. Nodding, she waved her brother bye, both females laughing at his antics since he had his house back, going to his car that the woman of the pair had driven over.

"Go on, take it for a ride, call one of your nutty friends; I'm sure Beck would like to ride it," she said with a smile, and at her daughter's tense jaw, the woman frowned a bit, but didn't really understood why, "I promise you, the house will stay the same."

"Yeah, nutty friends..." She muttered, looking away.

Giving her mother a look but nothing else, she began getting ready to leave in her rather late present. When she turned the engine back on, her mother approached with a black leather jacket and a helmet, two actually, and as she donned the jacket and fastened one of the helmets, her mother strapped the other on the back. That was when Jade noticed that the men had also dropped off a chest which was from where the helmets and jacket came from; there were other clothes within as well, but right then, she didn't want to think about it. Taking a pair of aviators that she knew had been her brother's, from her mother of all people, she left. She left before even her uncle did, and soon sped by the truck, which honked its approval.

Jade didn't have the slightest idea with whom to share this. Cat wouldn't understand and run off in fear, mostly because her senses would tingle with pain, André would try to drive it as would Beck, so that only left Tori. She smirked at herself, enjoying the feeling of the wind as it sped through the helmet (it had orifices made for just such purpose) and made her scalp vibrate; talking about bikes... Not surprisingly, she didn't even consider Robbie; she knew she would end up dragging the puppet behind her bike. She arrived at the Vega household just in time to see a frustrated eternal-optimist leaving the house. The surprise on her face wasn't even hidden, and she ran towards her Goth friend, undoing the harness on the second helmet and getting on the passenger's side of the bike with hazel eyes that begged for no questions. The house opened at a scowling David, and Jade only smirked as she sped off. The Latina was in _so_ much trouble... The pale teen laughed at her friend's misfortune, they left to the sound of her clear and ringing laughter.

* * *

_Up next_: Tori has an _orgasmic_ experience with Jade. Yes, you read right, but don't let it fool you; it _so_ isn't what you think or hope, XD **insert evil laughter here**

* * *

Chiken (love the name): there will be moments between them, but it's going to take a while. No relation is perfect, and getting to such point is going to be even harder. As I said, there _will__ be_ moments, but for them to begin a relation... _That_ will take time.


	5. Chapter 4: Bike Ride

_Disclaimer_: I do not own Victorious, it belongs to Dan and Nickelodeon. Also, this chapter's inspiration: '_Sovereign Light Café_' by Keane.

Thanks to my betas: the-original-lovelace and StakeTheHeart for their impeccable job and hard work.

* * *

Chapter 4: Bike Ride

Tori was beginning to doubt the sanity of her choice, but at the moment, all she wanted to do was get away from her house. Besides, she doubted even Jade could hide a shovel on a bike. It wasn't like this was a first, but it was certainly sudden. Really, what was she thinking about, getting in a bike with Jade of all people? Then again, why had the Goth even gone by her place? Every once in awhile, the driver would laugh, especially when she did a rather sharp turn and forced the Latina to whimper and hold on tighter. Of course, someone had to take joy in her misery, it wasn't new, not with her current company. They came to a sudden stop, although the speed junky had been slowing down after the last curve. Jade ended up in a grim mood since the passenger couldn't believe they were actually at their destination, not that she knew where they were headed in the first place.

"For all the _chiz_, Vega, get a grip!" It was clear that she wasn't using a more ... colorful language for a reason. "I can hear your heart going faster than us..."

Tori whimpered softly, but with a shaky hand, finally managed to let go. She took her own helmet off and passed it to the insane driver, who was strapping the two to the back, while tanned hands went to tanned arms and rubbed. Hazel eyes fell on a quaint and cozy family business that looked eerily familiar, and a sense of déjà vu consumed her.

"Get a move on," the snarky remark made the Latina jump a bit, far too lost in memories that weren't clear enough as it was. "God, had I known you were gonna be this dense, I wouldn't have picked you up..."

"Well, thanks," Tori finally began to unmount, but was stopped from moving further, "what?"

"I don't trust you," what was _that _supposed to mean?! "That's where the side-stance is, and I'm not going to be kind should it fall..."

"Oh..." She placed her hand on the arm that was stopping her, and got of the bike without trouble.

"_Oh..._" Jade mimicked in the classic southern belle tone, but when the other girl didn't use the usual comeback, she frowned; what was up with Vega? Right! "So, trouble in paradise? I assume that you leaving on a bike with a stranger won't help..."

At the pout, she laughed. Oh if bugging the hell out of Vega were a sport, she would be world champion. The whining didn't stop until they were in front of the matron, coffee was requested, and the Latina was strangely subdued; the woman reminded her of her aunt. Once they were seated the teasing continued, but she was beyond the whining stage at that point.

"It's not funny Jade!" Tori huffed. It was Jade's regular coffee shop; it was the only one that sold her favorite blend.

"_It's not funny Jade!_" She mimicked, smirking as she took a sip from her cup and breathed out in bliss.

"I don't talk like that!" The usual response was met with snickering, and the Latina sighed in aggravation. "Thanks for getting me out."

"This has something to do with your mother?" The other asked, bored, rolling her eyes for good measure.

"Yeah, but right now, she's Principal Vega, and I don't want to talk about it," the teen right across her shrugged indifferently, and they sat quietly. "So, what's with the coffee here?"

"Colombia, that's what," was the uppity reply along with the smirk; the tanned female knew her friend was just waiting to roll her eyes.

"Columbia?" Tori was honestly puzzled by what that could mean, and it appeared it was the awaited answer, as the Goth rolled her green eyes _again_; she pouted for lack of a better response.

"Colombia, as in the country in south America," she said, not elaborating much. "You know, best coffee in the world is grown there?"

"Oh..." Tori decided to take a sip. It was soft, fragrant, and quite sweet, not at all what she was used to in coffee. "Mmmm, no wonder why you like it."

"Here you go Jade," a charming young man said, smiling at them but he was obviously focused on the Goth; he looked very much like Beck, but he was a tad bit taller, if that were possible, "I saved you one from our latest batch. Papa sends his regards."

"Thanks Pablo," she replied softly, giving him a soft smile as he beamed and placed three bags on the table; she turned and waved where an older version of Pablo was.

"Mesa de Santos?" Tori read, and then frowned a bit. "Table of Saints?"

"Oh no señorita," Pablo said, shaking his head, "mesa as in plateau; Jade, always a pleasure, Miss."

He turned around and began attending other customers. Tori looked between him and Jade, who was still absorbed in her delicious coffee. Taking another sip, the Latina got lost herself and they both sighed in contentment. The Goth passed her one of the bags, motioning to the orifice at the top of it. At the confused glance, the green eyes rolled but her mood couldn't be taken from her as she took another bag and placed the orifice to her nose, inhaling. As Tori mimicked her, they both placed the bags away with a sigh of pleasure, taking another sip. It suddenly made sense why the matron had said that she was adding three, and Jade beamed.

"You're very well known," Tori observed, not minding the rolling of eyes.

"Their extended family works the fields and they share the profit," was all Jade could say.

"What about Pablo?"

"He's okay, but all he knows, is coffee, his love for it rivals my own," she smiled a bit grimly at the admission, but didn't seem to mind otherwise, "he actually taught me alot, showed me what his father do in the back, which is grinding the beans. Turns out, it's better to grind them freshly, and Pablo sorts through them, and those selected few are the ones they grinded and boil. And it's _the_ best coffee."

"Really?" She couldn't help the smile on her face as she heard her friend speak and the solemn nod in reply.

"Pablo can detect those few with his sense of smell," those green eyes turned towards the tanned, straight-haired male who was going around those customers who were siting, taking only orders for food, and giving some soft and sweet bread around for free. "He tried teaching me, but I insist he's half hound with his ability."

"Well," she glanced back at the tanned female across from her, looking with a light frown at one of the bags, earning a chuckle from the Goth.

"Yeah, it's open because they like me enough to give me some of those beans," she laughed at the incredulous face, saying no more and enjoying her coffee, until it was obviously gone and she sighed in regret.

"I'm out too," Tori said, looking as if her favorite show had been cancelled, but she jumped as soon as she felt the young man near their table. "Pablo! You scared me."

Jade snickered at this, forcing a glare from the hazel eyes. "I apologize miss, I just came over to take your cups for a refill of our special."

"Bring us cream and milk," the Goth requested, actually requested; she was definitely in a _very_ good mood, "but with the same amount of sugar for us both."

"En seguida, señorita," he said candidly, and left.

"You should first taste it, then add either milk or cream in the amount you feel pertinent," she seemed to caution the Latina, "the flavor's never the same, but Pablo can definitely tell the actual amount needed of either, but since it's your first time, I think you should discovered its original taste."

"How did you find this place?" She actually wanted to ask how come she felt so comfortable, but thought the answer would be one and the same.

"Jazz," when the Latina craned her eyebrow, green eyes rolled, "Pablo was his best friend during elementary school."

"Here you go," he said as he left two steaming cups then left and came back shortly with, "cream," he raised his left as he placed it and then said, "milk," motioning with his right.

"Hey Pablo, shouldn't you be a barista already?"

"Heh, Jade," he leaned down to look into her eyes with his mocha ones, "you remembered I was having problems getting into one of those schools, let alone afford it."

The Goth scowled, not seeming to care that he was right in her face. "I thought that guy had given you a chance! You would never blow up that opportunity."

"I didn't," he grinned at her, and her eyes were shocked, "I'm graduating this winter."

Jade grinned at him, and they bumped fists before he left, whistling a merry tune. She took a delicate sip of her coffee, diluted a little of cream, mixed it and began drinking. Tori could have sworn that her friend moaned softly, and she blushed for no reason. To hide it, she took a sip as well, and her eyes glazed over. It was a bittersweet symphony, making her taste buds flare. She took another, and her sigh of pleasure could rival her friend's soft moans. Taking the milk, she refilled her cup and began mixing, and once she took another sip, she began moaning as well. Both had their eyes glazed, and when they looked at each other they smiled, until the Goth began grinning in a way that told the tanned female things were about to become uncomfortable.

"_Orgasmic_, isn't it?" She asked, being kind enough as to not make her friend spit the precious liquid, not bothering to keep her voice down and laughing in glee at the embarrassment she caused, seeing Tori blush furiously.

"Jade!" But she wasn't the only one who said that; the matron looked as scandalized as the Latina, while Pablo and his father roared in laughter.

Still chuckling, she finished her coffee and Tori swallowed hers, seeing the pale going to the matron as she was hugged briefly, giving one to Tori as well. By the time she was released, she caught a sight that she would never believe. The old man had the Goth in a tight embrace.

"Welcome home," the matron whispered, and the words confused Tori.

"Te querremos, mija," the man said once they were at arm's length; Jade didn't even look awkward, and her smile was genuine.

"Thanks, it is nice being able to come more often," she replied.

The huge man grinned at that and gave Tori a huge hug as well and then a few pats on her back. Jade and Pablo pressed their fists together softly before he gave her another, this time unidentified, bag. He then accompanied them back to their table, where he placed the other three bags on a box, motioning for the Goth to place the one he had given within as well. Pablo went as far as accompany them to the parking lot, clearly confused until she pointed at the bike, at which point the young man whistled and jogged to it.

"I didn't know you knew Spanish," Tori began.

"I don't Vega," she replied with a shrug, "Pablo explained to me that his father meant that they love me as their daughter, as they loved my brother."

"Sleek ride, West," Pablo said as the girls finally stopped before the bike, "knew you _had_ to get it."

She smirked, and their fists bumped again as he made an explosion sound; she rolled her eyes. "Call me when you graduate, I want to be there."

He smiled at her, "you just want the coffee and see if there's a better barista than me."

"Hell yeah, I could get a new boyfriend there and get free coffee." He just laughed; considering Jade only bought Tori's her words were empty.

The tanned teen unlatched the helmets, passed one to the driver as she began placing the remaining one on. Pablo took the straps and secured the box with the bags. Finally, he kissed his thumb and placed it on her piercing, looking at it solemnly. Being who she was, Jade went to check on the fastening of the box. Feeling satisfied, she placed her glasses on and adjusted her helmet before getting on and roaring the bike to life. Tori sat behind her, securing her arms around the other's waist. They gave the young man one last look, waved back at him and soon, they were speeding off. The huge bonus of the bike was that, even if there was a passenger, there was no talking, although there was no music either but, then again, the Goth loved the feeling of the air more than anything. Soon, they stopped at the Vega household, and Tori got off, shaking a little. Rolling her eyes, Jade scoffed as she turned the bike off, took off the aviators and helmet, and waited for the questions; why she _was_ waiting was beyond her.

"What was that with the piercing?"

"It was my brother's, his had jade stones," she smiled grimly at the memory, "I had bought a new one, but switched it with his. I did leave him the jade stones though, it didn't feel right taking those."

"And the bike?" She clearly hadn't forgotten about the talk in the car, making Jade grinned in a maniac fashion; the Latina grew scared.

"Heh, my brother had it commissioned long before and since I passed the test," she flashed the motorcycle driving license that stated she qualified for the M1, "my mother finally ... _manned up_ and brought me this beauty. That reminds me, what's up with yours?"

"I wish I knew," she frowned slightly, sighing, "it's as if I'm not good enough, or she feels I'm slacking, which is _so_ not true..."

"At least she worries," Jade spoke, placing her helmet back on as to evade looking at the Latina, "so face it, Vega, even if it isn't for the right reasons, at least she does it."

"Hey Jade," she approached as those annoyed, now-blue eyes were being hidden behind the glasses, scoffing, "thanks for today."

"Yeah well," she raised her studded eyebrow, piercing now visible, "you never asked to drive it."

Without another word, she turned and left. Sighing, the Latina entered her house, where she knew her father was waiting. She grimly remembered the reason why her friend had laughed at her, and she tried to explain the situation as best as she could; it wasn't a boy, she wouldn't run off again _as long_ as her mother backed off, and felt grateful that, even though it was dark outside when she had left the coffee shop, she wasn't late. Yet, all the same, she was grounded. _And the weekend had just started..._ She sighed at her cursed bad luck and blamed the Goth for it.

Suddenly, Tori felt that everything was a lie of sorts; her father was definitely an honest man, and she could tell he loved Holly deeply, but it sometimes felt as though it wasn't returned. There only seemed to be one person who helped her through and make sense of things, and it was Jade. When she realized this, the Latina could tell something was changing, moving too fast, as though she was at the back of that bike... She needed to catch her breath, make sense of things, but the more she tried to do so, the more it slipped away. At least she could catch her breath without much trouble. Her phone rang, and she answered; it was her sister, and the worst offense was not answering.

"_You're spending an awful lot of time with Jade..._" Trina began.

"Yeah, what about it?" The youngest child could tell that, wherever this was going, she didn't want to know.

"_I have a reputation to uphold!_" Before the tirade could go further, she was interrupted.

"Treen, you don't even live here anymore!" Really, there was far too much irrationality in that girl, and she was the _oldest_ one! "I am not having this conversation!"

"_Fine!_" The grunting was heard, but no further comments were made. "_Any news on mom's_—"

"Trina, really, I am not going to play spy," she said, followed by a sigh, knowing better than to not help, but trying her damn best, "look, I haven't seen anything suspicious on her phone, haven't heard her talking to _someone_ on it either... It's almost as if, since the start of the school year, she had no need to ... _speak_ with that certain someone..."

"_Really..._" The tone wasn't doubtful, it was only ... scheming. Never good, Tori could tell there would be trouble, and probably soon...

"Trina, why can't you just back off?" She was honest, and sighed as soon as the older girl began her tirade.

Leaving to prepare some popcorn; an all time favorite of hers, _Beauty and the Beast_ was being shown on tv, she decided to forget her sister's rambling and she could tell it would be a better use of her time. Who knew how long her sister would remain on the phone, and just to hang up all angry. It wasn't the lack of reply, it was simply that Tori would never agree with her, and it ate her up inside. Since the youngster hadn't been the one to call, she didn't particularly cared how long it lasted. She also placed it on the lowest volume and enjoyed her movie.

* * *

_Up next_: Jade's family just got a new added member, and her kid brother is in the midst of it. Can anything good come out of this West side of the family?

A/N: I swear I never planned for Pablo or his family, but it has grown... big time! o.0


	6. Chapter 5: Cursed Outcome

_Disclaimer_: I do not own Victorious, it belongs to Dan and Nickelodeon. The coffee shop's name was taken from: '_Ojalá Que Llueva Café_' by: Juan Luis Guerra; it roughly translate to: '_May It Rain Coffee_'.

Thanks to my betas: the-original-lovelace and StakeTheHeart for their impeccable job and hard work.

* * *

Chapter 5: Cursed Outcome

"Can you believe she actually got that punk the bike?" Pale blonde hair bobbed as the skinny woman paced, seething, "honey, what will you do about it? At this rate, she'll get all of _your_ money..."

"Could you quit pacing and for once try and help me out on this?" The man, Mr. West, requested of his new wife, who pouted at his tone but sat on his lap. "She might actually try to get back those bloody instruments..."

The woman sighed and glared as her chihuahua began running all around, as though it had been caffeinated. She took the ball of fur and kicked out to the back yard, not caring as it yapped all the way to the ground. Mulling her idea about in her head, she took out a plate of lasagna and placed it in the microwave, heating it up for her husband.

"_Darling_," she drawled the vocals out, grating on the man's nerves, "why don't you buy her a pet?"

"A pet?! What are you talking about, woman?!" He demanded, clearly annoyed, "are you suggesting some kind of reward?"

"No, I was thinking more along the lines of... a test..." She spoke softly, measuring the impact of her words on him, "a birthday present gone wrong... I doubt she'll manage to keep the creature alive, thus..."

"Proving she isn't fit to be on her own just _yet_..." Thankfully, he caught on the idea pretty quick. "Yes, the question now is, what kind of pet?"

"Pet?" Their son Tyler asked from the doorway, eyes wide. "We getting another?"

"No child," his father replied, slightly annoyed, "I meant for your sister, as a birthday present."

"Oh..." Sounding slightly disappointed, he went to one of the counters to take a glass and then went to the fridge, pouring himself a glass of apple juice.

"You shouldn't be drinking at this hour, Ty," his mother reprimanded him, "I don't want any mess in your bed."

"Mom!" He cried in outrage; how old did she think _he_ was? "I haven't had an accident since I was five! Just, drop it..."

"Awww, our young man is all grown up," she cooed at him, making him feel slightly sick as she messed his hair; he was a good kid and even if he actually wanted to, he didn't swat her hand away. "Anyway, I'm thinking that a chihuahua like mine would be a good choice."

"Those things are too expensive," Mr. West replied, scowling.

"Does it have to be a dog?" Tyler asked, then placed his glass on his mouth and took a few sips.

"What do you mean?" The older male had a light frown on his face.

"Well, what about a cat?" He asked sweetly, and his mother immediately scowled; he hid his grin by taking another sip before going on. "Cat, dog, you told me it's all the same. They're even easier to adopt."

"Adopt?"

"Oh, but I'm sure a dog is more her style," she glared at Tyler, who shrugged.

"No, the kid might be onto something here..." Mr. West was slightly (to put it mildly) greedy, and though he could admit that his daughter had talent, he just didn't feel patient enough as to wait for her success as he had with his firstborn. "Adopting means it's free... A cat it is, then!"

With his mind made, Mr. West smiled at his son for his brilliance; maybe there was still hope of making a West out of him. The child grinned at his father, finished his juice in one swallow, and left the kitchen, feeling smug and proud of his actions; he went to sit on the couch and watch TV. A dog, specially a chihuahua, would guarantee his sister hating the mutt and letting it loose or giving it to a friend. Cat would certainly take it, but then again Jade was friends with a Latina, and would probably use the annoying dog to play a prank at the family. That would be interesting, but it would prove his father was right about her. While he wanted to make his father proud, just as Jade did, he truly cared about his sister. To him, she was cool, even though he knew her life had probably been much like his up to that point, he also knew they had both had an older brother, he just died before he was born, probably two years before he came to be. Tyler felt sad that he hadn't been capable of meeting said brother; it never crossed his mind that, perhaps, the only reason why he existed was because his brother had ceased to do so.

The blond boy noticed that _Ben 10_ had just ended and sighed. He could hear his parents fighting a little on the kitchen, not that he cared much. Jumping off the couch, he heard the dog scratching the front door; with a grin, he began teasing the poor creature, hassling it a bit before opening the door and hiding behind it. Not finding the culprit of his pain, the dog went to the kitchen as the boy silently closed the door and skipped up the stairs, making sure to keep quiet. Tyler snickered in good, West-like fashion at the annoyance of his mother. He laughed once he was safe within his room and behind the closed door. Going to the bathroom to prevent any kind of incidents, he snuggled underneath his _Max Steel_ covers and hog his _Loki_ pillow; Jade definitely knew him, even if he annoyed her to no end with his worry-wart nature. Sometimes, Jade thought he was actually Amber's child, and he had once caught those words, '_he doesn't feel like a half-brother_' and somewhere deep within, he thought she was right. He would enjoy himself further if he lived with those two, he felt there was something unique about that house and those two women... He could never tell what, but he remembered Uncle Gary thinking along those lines too...

* * *

Monday came, and with it, a leather-clad Jade. She had no helmet on, only her glasses, and was chewing gum. Her combat boot placed the side-stand on the pavement, and there were now compartments for her to store things on the side of it; it still looked at sleek as ever and she took her bag out of it. It would seem that she had some... competition on that end, so to speak. Hers wasn't the only new ride; there was a black Humvee with neon lights of all colors parked in a spot big enough for it. It was huge, most of its seats were pushed down and the sheer amount of space it had was staggering. What was best, it had an astounding sound system, and was obviously custom made; it has speakers on its outside, covered on the substance that could make electronic devices not mind water, meaning even if it rained, it wouldn't get screwed up. At the wheel, André Harris sat, completely excited, opening the sunroof (custom made...) just so he could climb out, and begin busting some moves out. He yelled and woot-ed to his heart's content, clearly enjoying his latest ride.

Everyone was impressed; his birthday had been before the start of school, and this treat had obviously been special. It would seem that his dad, decorated ex-military had gotten the truck at a special discount, and his cousin, Kendra, had pimped his ride up as part of a special in her show. He was helped back down by Beck, who high-five him, along with Robbie. The pale boy was laughing, really excited about things. Rex was on the hood of the car, clearly unable to get a word edgewise. It was almost as if he had been forgotten, but no one dared mention this.

"Hey there!" The producer began, wiggling his eyebrows as three girls stepped forward, eyes shining. "Pretty ladies! How do you like the Camping Hummer?"

"Really, why that name?" Tori asked in good nature, pushing him softly with the hip; on his other arm, the Goth rolled her eyes, but her smile not leaving. Cat giggled from André's shoulder, as she hugged him from behind. "What?!"

"We're planning a trip," Robbie said, clearly excited, "for Beck's, André's and my birthday!"

"I thought yours wasn't until November..." The Latina was clearly surprised and it made the thespian scoff. "Beck's is February right?"

"Ten days before _your_ birthday," the tall boy remarked, leaning against the door.

"We've been planning this trip since we all met freshmen's year!" The redhead said with glee, and the boy whose ear was too close, winced. "Sorry..."

"It's alright Lil' Red," he said with a cheeky smile, and he felt the vibration of her squeal; at least she had some self-control. "Now that I think on it, I guess we never really did mention it..."

"No, never," Tori said with a raised eyebrow as she watched Robbie bust a few moves to the one of André's songs, as it came from the speakers.

"Well, that first summer, we had plans for certain someone's birthday," Beck began with a grin at the other two girls, clearly speaking with the tanned female, "it went spiraling down for obvious reasons—"

"At least further chaos was evaded," Jade sneered, eyes hard and turned away from the rest; they warmed a bit when her best friend gave her a peck on the cheek, "thanks Cat; really, she was the one who convinced this troop of geeks of not going through with it."

"So, to make up for it, she suggested something for Thanksgiving," Beck said, laughing as Robbie's glasses fell, "we decided on a weekend before the date."

"Why?" It's always a Thursday, so a Friday would work perfectly, right? The singer was clearly puzzled.

"I have two families Vega," Jade replied dryly.

"And she ain't the only one," André remarked with a sigh, "my dad ain't gonna forgive me if I don't make it work this year."

"So, we're using the weekend before to leave for a trip," Robbie said, eyes bright, "but it's hard enough to get a car to fit us all, not even counting the amount of things for the trip—"

"Where we're going, a truck is definitely a must," Beck remarked, "I'm not getting my car there, no matter what."

"Besides, it's better if we all get to share a tent," Robbie said with a smile, and at glaring hazel and sapphire eyes, he wisely shut.

"I agree with him," André added with a soft shrug, not letting the girls leave his arms with an honest smile, "but since gender is a clearly an issue, we're taking two huge tents."

"Besides, now we're three boys and three girls," Cat said with a chuckle, "hey, my brother could come—"

"No!" Everyone said at once; André was released as the redhead pouted, and he released the other two girls as well as he went to turn the engine off.

"Rex!" Robbie dived for his puppet as the shake on the hood made him fall.

"I don't think your brother could handle their stinky feet," the Goth jabbed at the boys with a light frown, "and it would unbalance things; four boys, three girls—"

"Well, what about Trina?" Tori shrugged softly at the look of others, "she would be here—"

"Two nut jobs doesn't make things better," the thespian cut in without hesitation, not even falling for the pouting face of their ditz, "we have enough with our cat."

It was left at that as the first bell rang, and no one wanted to be late. Well, Jade didn't care, and she would never run toward or from somewhere unless it was absolutely necessary. A class, of course, would never fill that requisite up. Besides, monday mornings were filled with madness; it was a good way to wake up, but little else, meaning Sikowitz' class. Although he hadn't done so in a long time, he came through the window, screaming something about a serial killer on the loose. When none of his students reacted, he frowned as he sat, barefooted, on his stage, taking his coconut out with bendy straw ready and began sipping from it. Everything was quiet, and at Beck's insistence, Jade sneaked about to where the props were, found a robe, a ski mask, and a chainsaw. Grinning, she gave Beck a thumbs up before sneaking around. The classroom began to murmur at the lack of activity, until they heard something that sounded like a motor getting started, and everyone turned to the doors. Jade kicked the door and strode in, chainsaw functioning; everyone scrambled everywhere with screams, trying to get as far from her as possible. Tori began laughing, being observant as ever, and laughed even harder when Robbie got _somehow_ tangled with Rex and Cat jumped on André's arms. Strangely enough, Sikowitz was on Beck's arms.

"Priceless..!" Tori exclaimed, drying some tears, and everyone calmed down as soon as the ski mask went up. "Look! The serial killer is Jade!"

"Ugh," the Goth replied in disgust, and just for that, she had to find a way of irritating the Latina. "_Look! The serial killer is Jade!_"

"I don't talk like that!" But the tanned female didn't really mean it that time, it was mostly as if they were going through the motions.

Everyone calmed down as Jade moved on, with a smirk, to leave the school's property on its rightful place. Beck, for his part dropped their eccentric teacher to the floor and gave the Goth a high-five; he felt the need to include Tori, as she had known about it and said nothing. For her part though, the thespian just gave the singer her best glare and she resumed her seat at the back, where the ex-couple gave their producer friend high-fives. Sikowitz of course, caught all this on, and during the remaining time of the class, he picked on those four and actually requested them to stay after class; Cat and Robbie (and Rex) watched from the doors, anxious.

"Thank you for offering yourself to be part of the class," he began as they groaned, but he simply smirked at them, drawing out a long slurp from his drink, "and for helping me get everyone moving a bit."

"Yeah yeah," Jade replied, rolling her eyes; she loved the man but _hell_, it was Monday and she would rather get moving and be done with the acursed day. "Can we get this over with?"

"Very well," the teacher spoke in his best, 'teacher' voice, "you and Tori are having difficulties again, and I heard you're both performing for Halloween."

"Uh..." Both females had no idea what to say in regards to that, specially when he looked at them with a light frown, slurping again.

"Now, I don't think that a 'Play Date' is necessary," he began, and at their relief, he became much sterner, "_but_, you both need to be in your top game. I'm giving you both an assignment: go out together."

"What?!" Everyone looked at him as though he was a creepy old man and he scowled further.

"Now, that's what I'm _talking_ about!" Rex cried; the reaction to his words appeared to be almost automatic: Tori and Jade both took a ball each, and these landed, one on the ventriloquist and the other on the puppet.

"Not like that!" Sikowitz rolled his eyes, his fluffy and thinning hair moving as he violently shook his head, "really, you kids and your hormones. The two of you need to go out and not do anything."

"Yeah, I get it," the Goth, of course, had to speak up, "we don't have to do anything 'cause we're trouble magnets, got it."

"I knew you would understand!" He beamed at her, and all she could do was smile her usual I-know-I'm-the-best look; Beck and André both chuckled at her expression. "Okay, you're all dismissed."

He looked as if he couldn't wait to leave and really, they couldn't blame him. The day went as usual, and by the end of it, as they stepped through the front doors and towards freedom, everyone was teasing and laughing. Cat commented on a change for her Halloween character, and everyone agreed and them being good about it left the redhead happy; she would take on the female version of Beast Boy and dye herself pink. Meanwhile, the Goth scowled and snarled as she made her way to her bike; it had a attracted quite a crowd, which immediately parted once the owner came to view. Soon, it had thinned as everyone ran away from her murderous look. Harris and Oliver had to, of course, drool over the sight. Plenty of boys whistled before bolting and André and Beck approached without hesitation, marveling at it. As Jade took her aviators out of her bag, both boys knew that she wouldn't allow them to ride it; blue eyes promised pain in ways only she could give if anyone dared to touch it without her permission. It also promised, but only her friends, that she would give them a ride at another time. They smiled at that, and then began, with feather-like touches, skimming through it's motor and engine. After a while, she thawed out; one was like a brother, the other a best and close friend. So, the Goth extended her arm, key dangling from her hand. André was surprised, but Beck only smiled softly and took them from her, his hold soft in case she regretted herself, but she just smiled at them both. It was time to change, and she had just taken her first step towards that.

"Just one ride around the parking lot," she threatened them, playfully swatting their arms; she still had to be Jade of course.

"Wow! Look at insensitive and scary, flashing about her new ride!" Rex began in his usual tone and then, he just had to whistle.

"Yeah well, Vega's doll on my mom's car," Jade began with her smirk, eying the puppet, "so I guess you might do, dummy."

She laughed maliciously as Rex closed his mouth, and she took out her scissors just for her threat to sink home and Robbie ran away with his cherished possession.

"Jade, it's so cool!" Cat exclaimed in her usual joy as she stepped close to her best friend. "A gift?"

"You could say mom's," was the nonchalant reply, sounding bored, looking as André began gaining speed; Beck had already driven about.

Cat looked uncomfortable as André approached to invite her for a ride. "I, uh... No, thanks... I... rather not, sorry."

"What's up with that?" The music magician asked with a raised eyebrow as the girl ran off.

"If something happens in a car, she's covered," Jade supplied with a shrug, "dunno really, but all I can say: scaredy cat."

No one could say anything else at that, and after André parked the bike and offered the owner her keys back, the parking lot was almost empty. The pale teen accepted the keys and took notice of a certain Latina who looked miserable as she waited for the principal to be done. The boys said their goodbyes and before they left, she extracted a promise from them: they had to pay her gas one time. She then approached the tanned female; Tori looked back at the school again and sighed, resigned about having to wait until an aggravated voice made her stop.

"Come on, Vega," Jade said, giving the Latina one of the helmets and tying her hair into a tidy bun; she then placed her aviators over her green eyes, "I'll give you a ride; who knows, maybe we can get in trouble on our way."

Shocked, Tori just nodded, placing her helmet on and tucking her bag on one of the containers to the side as her friend did the same with her own bag on the other side of the bike. Thinking about it, the tanned female undid her helmet and strapped it on the back with the other one, much to the Goth's surprise, who was waiting for her passenger to sit behind her before turning on the engine. There was an awkward pause as a studded brow was raised; what more of an invitation was needed?

"Um, would it be too much to ask if we go back to the coffee shop of the other day?" Jade smirked at the modesty of the situation; catching the look, Tori frowned slightly. "What?"

"Don't act all coy with me, Vega," she replied, grinning further, "people might get the wrong idea. You liked the _orgasmic_ experience, didn't you?

Her mirth could be heard, and although those few left did turn at her choice of words and the embarrassment of the Latina, no one gave it another thought. Really, Jade didn't care; she was easily jaded and the small shop was the one of the few exception. That, and teasing the tanned female who had her hands holding her waist with an iron grip. Soon, they were on their way, and Tori loved the way the breeze felt. Taking a risk, she let go of the other's waist, raised her arms, (tightened her legs in fear) and began laughing at the feeling running through her scalp. Her actions left the Goth grinning, but she did tap the tanned girl's leg softly, and the hands were back in place as they picked up speed. Laughter followed, and they were a streak of brunette hair.

The café, which Tori learned when she entered, was called _Lluvia de Café_, literally translating to _coffee rain_. The Latina jumped on the air a bit as soon as she felt a cat rubbing her legs. Smiling, she bent down to pet the kitty, just to earn a groan from her friend.

"Oh, I see Missy likes you," Pablo said with a smile, getting them to a corner with a wink, "Jade, you definitely know how to pick them."

He left to attend another table while the Goth became irritated. Tori didn't understand until she jumped a bit again as soon as she saw the cat, Missy, on the black-loving teen. The aggravated noise confirm the fact that the cat wasn't welcome, but she obviously didn't have the heart to push her off. Of course, she did snicker as soon as she saw the tanned female reaction from the surprise. Tori ignored the attempts at aggravating her and made use of the vulnerability to begin petting the lovely cherry blonde coat, a Maine Coon. Soon, Pablo brought them the house's special brew, both steaming cups decorated by him and they praised his technique. He smiled warmly at them, and left them, not even bothering with bread. Soon, both teens were completely relaxed, taking their sweet time nursing their drinks. Jade's mood was good, and she had begun petting the cat still on her lap as though she didn't care if it was there or not.

"I still cannot get over it," Tori began softly, feeling at utter peace, and at her friend's questioning glance, she smiled a bit, "it's as if this were a parallel universe, like nothing can touch you here..."

"Look around you Vega," she muttered softly, taking another sip, "here, _nothing_ can touch me. I know that if I ask them to make room for me, they won't hesitate a second and help me out; I did that once. Here, no matter how shitty life is, I am welcome, I can speak of Jazz without worries of hurting someone because we _are _hurting, but for them, it's better not to bottle things. I _feel_ like their daughter, and after a while, I began to understand what they meant by blood not being a family's glue..."

They continued with some small talk, some about her brother. Tori learned that Jasper played, besides the harp, the piano, the violin, the cello, the guitar and the bass, formally, but he also knew how to play the ukulele, the banjo, and because of Pablo, the accordion. He had written several pieces, mostly the piano classics for harp, and it would seem that he had been trying to finished some compositions by famous musicians, all whom had died before finishing them. It also seemed that he had been learning to play the theremin, a Russian instrument that made used of wavelengths. Jade also revealed a little about herself, how the matron had taught her the basic steps of salsa and merengue, and secretly, was getting her a teacher for some tango lessons. Tori was awed, but the tale was interrupted as said woman appeared in front of them, big smile plastered on her face.

"I am sure we can fit your scrawny friend on some lessons," she said kindly, smiling a bit at the pale girl's smirk at her word choice. "Missy! Off of our guest, now!"

The cat opened a bored eye but did as told and everyone laughed at this, including both teens who had been watching the cat. They both took it as a cue to get up and leave, but from the host's reaction, they were expected to stay longer. They apologized and said their goodbyes, pointing the time out. Tori was surprised when Jade didn't even pay for occupying the table; they had both finished their cups a while ago, but Jade felt that she had enough coffee on her own house rather than waste the family's resources, even if they scoffed when she said as much. They smiled at the family and wave their goodbyes, but their way to the bike was interrupted as the Goth's phone began ringing; the skinny teen cringed at the sound of the scream that was always heard in the movies before the female was killed. She wouldn't expect less from her friend, but it did scare her a bit.

"Yeah?" The pale teen snarled softly with a scowl; she hadn't even bothered to check on the caller ID.

_"Sis, you need this heads up."_

"Tyler, how in the _world_ did you get my number?" She demanded, snarl in place as her good mood quickly went south, and fast.

_"I..."_ The boy was reluctant but with a sigh of defeat, he proceeded, knowing that at any moment his sister would hang up and he would have lost his chance, _"I took dad's phone, searched for it, and called."_

Another aggravated sigh. "Fine, speak, but hurry!"

_"Dad's buying you a pet."_

"What?!"

_"Um, well, _she_ thinks its a way of testing you,"_ he said, frowning in concentration, _"said something about being able to take care of it..."_

"Thanks for the heads up."

_"Wait!"_ He knew he was being dismissed, so he went on. _"The was something about another chihuahua."_

"You've _got_ta be kidding me," she breathed through her teeth, feeling the need to punch something; there was a brief silent spell.

_"How would you feel about a cat?"_ He asked softly, almost squeaked. _"They are slightly easier to handle, not even much to teach them, and more independent."_

"It would be slightly more tolerable," she replied, features softening, "why do you ask, Ty?"

_"Well..."_ He explained how he managed to trick their father. _"I'll go with him now to help him choose one."_

This time, the silence was stunned. Obviously,Tyler got a bit worried when there was nothing coming from his sister's line, and made sure they were still connected.

_"Jade?"_ He asked with some concern, immediately snapping her out of it.

"Thanks kiddo," she replied, still stunned, "keep me updated."

Tyler preened at her words, and smiled, placing his phone down, knowing she had disconnected. For her part, Jade was still stunned, and found herself saving her little brother's number. She turned towards her friend, who looked at her worried, but in a daze she shook her head, tying her hair back, donning her jacket and glasses; the bike hummed to life and Tori, did nothing but get on the back of the ride. It was as fun as the one getting there.

"Thanks a bunch Jade," she said with a twinkle in those hazel eyes, "too bad we didn't get into trouble."

"Yes well, I definitely don't need help on that one," she spoke sourly, and with a sigh, decided to take another step, "my father is trying to show I'm unsuitable of handling the money Jazz left me, he's going to buy me a _cat_."

"Hey, if you need someone to kitty-sit, call me," she tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, "this has been fun."

"Next time, I'll bring you a jacket," the pale teen replied, noticing the slight shivers and surprising the Latina.

"Thanks!" They smiled, but soon, Jade was on her way home.

As soon as she arrived, she was glad to find her mother, whom had dinner ready. She mentioned that they would soon be having another family member, but left it at that. After finishing her homework, she searched the net for information about cats. First thing, training it to use the bathroom like a human and save herself a sandbox, and she had already found a nice sleeping arrangement for a creature that had yet to come. Jade found that she couldn't help herself; Jazz often spoke of shepherds, but also about cats, and the one that would suit her well. She began texting with Tyler of all people; he didn't try to hide his excitement. Maybe she was thawing out, but it was time for growing up, and she had a lot of catching up to do.

* * *

It was Thursday's eve when his father finally took him to the pet shop. Mr. West sneered at the creatures while Tyler had fun in the puppy section before going to the kitty section. There, he found a magnificent creature left apart from the rest. In his most pathetic tone, he began asking the lady about the kitten out of limits.

"Oh, she's just sick hon," the lady said, obviously melting at his tone and worry; since he had her where he wanted, he made a magnificent pout, "oh don't worry, she'll be fine, she just needs some love."

"Is she a Bombay?" He asked curiously, noticing its yellow eyes and black fur.

"Awww, aren't you a cutie?" The lady cooed, and he just gave her his best, goofy smile. "Yes, she is a bombay."

"Is she up for adoption?" He inquired softly.

"Son, what is it?" His father asked as he approached his youngest.

"Daddy, that one is sick," he pointed at the cute kitten he had been looking at.

"I'm afraid she isn't up for adoption," and this began some kind of debate between the two grown-ups.

Tyler took his opportunity to take a picture and send it to his sister. Texting began.

**She's a Bombay.**

_**Good.**_

**But, she's sick... :'(**

_**Don't worry Tyler, I already know a good vet around here.**_

**Any good?**

_**Well, I guess, it's not like the paper behind his desk is much proof. They do sell food, so no worries on that front.**_

**Okay, dad's speaking to the lady, something about faulty merchandise...**

_**Greedy bastard...**_

**...  
****I agree.**

_**Thank you.**_

There was an awkward pause, and they mutually decided to cut it. Mr. West was furious, but finally agreed and arranged the drop-off of the feline on his old residence. Tyler's last text said: **next week from tomorrow (a) 5.** He felt sneaky and giddy at the fact that he was helping Jade out.

* * *

_Up next_: The girls didn't managed to get themselves in trouble, they managed to find a troublesome kid which causes plenty for them. Will it help with their ever-growing bond, or will it simply deflate it further?


	7. Interlude: First Scene

_Disclaimer_: I am not involved with Dan Schneider or Nickelodeon, or any of the crew of actors who portray the characters of the series Victorious. Whatever is written here has no direct connection with the people previously mentioned. I hope I made myself clear...

**Warning**: Actorfic: not necessarily involved in the plot of the story, but just some 'spice' for a certain pairing: Elitoria; if you're not interested, you can leave.

Author's Note: I did say I would give you this, and that I would update every two weeks... It sums up to the fact that now it's two chapters per months, but there are some months that have five weeks and not four. Call it fate, destiny, karma, dharma, _pure awesomeness_ or simply **dumb luck** but those months, the interludes are due. I didn't do it on purpose, it just happened to fit the schedule.

* * *

Interlude: Setting the Scene

Victoria Justice felt troubled; the amount of fan fiction was higher on the shipping of hers and Elizabeth Gillies' characters, Tori Vega and Jade West, and even some regarding them, in real life, as a couple.

She felt worried, to say least. But as she browsed, she found that among the ... morbid and rather strange situations they were put through, there were some extremely sweet and she felt astonished to find herself wanting for some of those situations to be given. Was it weird? She was friends with Liz, Eli as she liked to call the other in private, and tolerance was something that she knew the show was about, among other things.

It was futile to think that Dan would consider the pair, but that didn't stop her mind from running a mile a minute. First thing she did as soon as she could, was purchase an old fashioned notebook and began writing in it. She, Victoria Justice, would do her name honor and try to do justice to the pair. For all the sweet things she had read, it never truly felt real, but exploring both characters and their growth... There were some points that could, definitely, be exploited.

The others asked her about the notebook, Avan was curious enough as to take it from her and skim through it, not truly finding much. He did laugh when he found an entry about Beck that read: "for all his display and maturity, and living in an RV, his mother probably still does his laundry". He read it aloud, and everyone laughed along with him.

"You're damn right V," he said, teasing her a bit and returning it. "What is it about though?"

"Well, the story focuses on Tori, so most of the other characters don't have backgrounds," she replied with her confident smile, "so I want to create such stories, not sure why..."

"I like that idea!" Ariana said with glinting eyes.

"Whom do you think would fit Cat?" Victoria asked, completely serious.

"Easy," the other replied with a grin, "I would say André."

"Really?"

A debate began of such nature among the room, and when Liz entered, she stood there, smirking at the pairings and reasons for their existence. She went to where the star of the show sat, writing, and she found herself curious as to what was going on.

"Liz, why do you think Jade is the way she is?" Vic asked her, focusing on the ever-changing eyes.

"Dan always told me to go with my guts," was the reply, along with a chuckle.

"I really don't think someone can be... you know..."

"A complete screw-up?" She smirked, making her look like her character, "you met my alleged father, and of course I doubt that my 'parents' had no fault on making 'me' so screwed."

"So..." The tanned female prompted; they hadn't notice how serious their conversation had turned, or how there was no more background noise.

"Well, I honestly think that Jade had a brother, a glue for the family, and when he died," several gasps were heard, but not by the other two, "it broke the family. Mr. West got married again, and her mother lost her will to fight."

"How old would she be?"

"I dunno," a shrug, but it was obvious not the answer the other was looking for, "that kind of thing affects a child deeply no matter the age, but I guess I'll go with seven."

It went on like an interview of sorts, and the others offered bits and pieces, clearly interested on the dark, sober past of the Goth of the clique. It proved an interesting eve...

* * *

"Really?" Liz had her wicked grin on her face, and it made her companion chuckle. "I mean, Holly is far _too_ distracted to be placed as a high school principal, don't you think?"

"Come on," Vic gave her a soft smile, "Dan said the same thing..."

"There's a reason why its Helen," Liz kept on verbally poking the tanned female, but her smile made it clear that it was more bantering than anything, "although I must admit, it makes it _much_ more interesting."

"And that's why I have a hard time beliving Jade and Eli are two different people," she commented with a dry tone.

"Hey!" The younger of the two wrinkled her nose in a 'cute' fashion, her mock outrage making it hard for them both to keep their composure and not burst out in giggles. "You're the masochist, making it so easy!"

That did it, they began laughing. That's how most of the crew spent their free time nowadays, poking holes in Victoria's dreams, meaning her _mock_ version of their own little world. They had fun, especially since they could write their own story. Ariana was having fun with her "brother" and chosing a good name for the inexisting character. The only reason why they called the boy _inexsisting_, was because the character wasn't defined and its madness was logically on borderline asylum; they had fun when Dan played the part, so it was confusing that the boy was simply floating around. They all agreed, in varying degrees, that he would make a superb older brother for Cat Valentine. Ari's input was definitely going to the story.

"Okay, can you be the youngest?" Eli requested civilly; they had decided, for lack of better choice, to make their birthdays, the character's b-day as well. "Really, it's kind of frustrating being the smallest already."

"Why?" It was quite puzzling for Vic; considering her last train of thought included the Valentine's... "You're top dog as it is, right?"

"Come _on_ Tor," it was definitely some kind of sore spot, "please?"

"That's all your defense?" There was no need to sweetened the tone further.

"Do you want me to _tickle_ you?" The threat was clear.

"I am the youngest then!" She replied without hesitation, then frowned softly. "Wait, then doesn't that mean that Trina is your age then?"

"_Right_, because _she_ wouldn't mind being upstaged my her little sister," the grin on the pale face made the star relax a little, "although you'd need a good reason for working so hard..."

The soft brown eyes looked at her antagonist for a long part throughout the series, and her heart constricted painfully. "I think, that I know a reason."

"Oh good!" Pristine eyes rounded on her, and she managed to smile softly and sweetly. "Do tell."

"Nope," the popping _p_ made the other girl roll her eyes and smirk, "and your tickling threats won't make me spill."

"We'll see about _that_..."

"Wait!" But it was far too late. "_No_!"

The tickling, had begun.


	8. Chapter 6: Windows to the Soul

_Disclaimer_: I do not own Victorious, it belongs to Dan and Nickelodeon. Also, this chapter's inspiration: '_Let Me Love You (Until You Learn to Love Yourself)_' by Ne-Yo; song may be subject to future use.

Note: I got no idea about babysitting, any input would be welcome. Sorry for the delay guys and gals, I'm currently holding a job, and it messed everything up, mainly the timing. Next week will be the next update, I swear!

Thanks to my betas: the-original-lovelace and StakeTheHeart for their impeccable job and hard work.

* * *

Chapter 6: Windows to the Soul

Friday was always a good day, last period with their nutty teacher, the beginning of the weekend, it was perfect. Unfortunately, it wasn't turning out so well for certain pair. Tori and Jade always left on the Goth's bike in hopes of finding trouble. Even when they risked a low-speed trail through one of the worst neighborhoods, it was as if all evil activities stopped. Frustrated, the Goth made a stop on her favorite tattoo parlor since it was closest. Sikowitz had given them the afternoon in hopes that they find trouble. What went through that man's mind?

"Hey Jade!" A lanky boy, probably younger than either of them and double the piercings of a lifetime, greeted them. "You here to see the latest, or got another request?"

"Just trying to pass time," she replied, annoyed but that didn't faze him.

"It's all cool," he replied, giving the Latina a hippie vibe, "just in case, the three stooges are at the back by the skate designs, and Calvin's on the second floor."

"Need help getting rid of Ed, Edd and Eddy?" She asked with a malevolent grin.

"I'll be sure to shout if we require aid," he replied with a goofy smile, "now, off with you, I'm sure Einstein will be happy to see ya."

"Einstein?" Tori asked with a raised eyebrow, but her friend just smirked and motioned with her arm to follow her; they went up some stairs. "No really, is he a genius too or—"

"I like to think its due to my appearance," Calvin was tall too, and an albino, alabaster skin very similar to the Goth's; strangely enough, he only had one piercing on his eyebrow and a tattoo that crept from his back to his neck, like a plant living off of him, "although I was well know during my time as an artist; I made enough to open this place, and part of the income would be Jazz's but instead, Jade got those profits."

"I owe him my life," Jade said in a whisper.

"Don't we all?" He asked back, frowning slightly, then shook his head; he looked just like the nickname he had been give. "Name's Calvin."

"Oh, hi," Tori was slightly confused but took the offered hand in hers, "I'm Victoria Vega, but call me Tori."

"Well then, Tori," he smiled candidly at her, his red eyes leaving her breathless, "welcome; Jade, babe, you arrived just in time."

He turned towards the easel and presented the girls with his work and Tori could feel the feelings emanating; Jade was aghast. It was the very same one on Jazz's room, an angel version of the Goth, blonde honey hair that looked as if _real_ honey had been used. Those eyes, both green and blue and yet, no other color in between, had been captured perfectly, as was the love in them. It was an expression she had never seen on the older and living version, a soft, powdered grey dress on the tiny frame as a hand was extended, the smile on her face speaking of joy. Calvin looked at it with sadness.

"Angel..." Tori whispered, catching the man's attention, but he said nothing as she shook her own head softly.

"Jade, you need to return," he spoke softly, tears in his eyes, "it's more than what Jazz saw; he told me the tale, and even if it was the only way to protect yourself..."

"She knows enough," the Goth whispered, knowing why the man had stopped, but she had to keep from bursting into tears, "she has heard enough and might be able to figure out the rest."

"Jade, they had no excuse, but don't let _their_ mistakes take you further away from who you were, who you _are_," his crimson eyes were beseeching, pleading, "if you do, they win, and Jazz will lose more..."

The Goth turned around and walked into another, adjacent room, and the man knew better than to run after. He turned a sad smile to the first friend that he had ever been introduced by Jade, not counting Cat. With a sigh, he turned and took a sketch book, the only one that was near by. Giving it to Tori, the albino walked to the stairs, where he stood, as if frozen. For her part, the Latina began flipping through the book, just to notice something, and taking it from the last, she allowed the pages to fall quickly, showing her a scene. An astonishing scene.

Jazz had been playing the harp, and it was obvious that he had been at nothing else all day. He stopped when one of his fingers began bleeding and just on cue, a little Jade came running into the scene. It was as if she had been expecting it, for she had some alcohol it would seem, on a fluff of cotton. Cleaning the fingers, she kissed each before placing a bandit on them. Then, ushering her brother outside, he could see through the window how she cleaned tenderly the bloodied instrument. His face was filled softly with love, then he frowned as he looked at his fingers, just to look to the side at his sister. That was the image on the easel, extending her hand to his brother, and he took it, much to her delight, and she took him further into the garden, where they fell to the grass and stared at clouds, and he fell asleep, much to her pleasure, feeling that could be easily seen on her face as she cuddled on him. It left tears on the Latina's eyes, and Tori could only place the sketch book back on its place and turning to stand besides Calvin. He was staring at a picture of Jasper, the young man had mirth, his eyes bright and this time, his hair wasn't spiked; he reminded her of Mr. West. He was wearing swimming shorts, and when the tanned teen looked at the albino, she could tell that there was something more. The way the artist stood, right arm across his chest, left around his waist, right hand clutching the fabric of his shirt right were his heart was...

"You're welcome to stay as long as you want," he whispered, voice raw, "you can go inside, don't worry."

Tori could only nod as she watched the owner walk down to his establishment, leaving a stranger and the little sister of his best friend, on his personal space. The Latina dried her eyes, thankful that the tears hadn't fallen, and walked slowly towards the adjacent room. There was a mattress, disorganized though it wasn't that surprising, and on the edge, the Goth managed to dry her tears.

"What's love, Tori?" She asked, almost desperate, and it broke her friend's heart.

"How you felt with Beck?" Was the best reply she could provide, and at the hollow laugh that escaped her friend, she winced.

"That's the reason why I told him we couldn't be together," she said without humor, yet a smile grazed her lips, "if what we had was love that partners should have, then I rather die with only cats for company."

"Well really, try asking someone with a good answer, maybe Calvin would be able to answer it better..." She bit her lower lip, then scowled softly at the laughter of her friend, specifically, at her discomfort. "Really, I've only been in three relations, and none that worked."

"Why _did_ you break with _Danny_?" It was asked delicately.

"We had a fight, the next day I see a girl kissing him, and when I confronted him... He had the decency of looking chastised, but the girl said," her tone became slightly bitter, "that since we had broken up, I had no claim. I guess she was right, but neither of us had spoken of breaking up, so we decided to make it mutual right then, and safe us heartache."

"So you don't know either..." Jade mused, feeling good about herself.

"Not quite," at that statement, the pale teen scowled, "I know the kind of love that I wanted, and for a while it really was Danny, but I guess I caused him enough trouble...

"The first love we recognize is that of our parents, our siblings, and we live by example," she continued softly, biting her lower lip, but went on, looking deep into those green eyes, "and let's be kind and say you haven't had the best example yet—"

"_Definitely_ kind..." The Goth muttered and the tanned skinned female sighed.

"And before we can love, we have to learn to love ourselves," at the scowl, she raised her hand to prevent an interruption, "no Jade, despite it all, there are aspect of yourself and your life that you hate."

"How I've lived beyond him," she could admit it, with difficulty, but at least she did.

"I can see the pain behind your eyes, it's been there for quite a while," she caressed the pale cheek softly, "I just want be the one to remind you what it is to smile..."

Jade turned to face the wall, but didn't end the touch, actually leaning into it for a while. She bit her lower lip, but neither could tell how strange it all was because it felt, to certain degree, normal. When the reality dawned on them, they both turned away, blushing, and the tanned hand left the pale cheek. The silence was comfortable, no matter how awkward they both felt and soon, they forgot the awkwardness and hazel turned to blue, both girls smiled. It was then that Tori realized this was a shrine in honor to Jasper, and she suddenly felt uncomfortable. Noticing, Jade couldn't allow such an oportunity to pass.

"Oh yes, Calvin had something for my brother," she grinned wickedly at the blush, "still does, though I figured you already knew..."

"You know, just for that, I'll ask André to help me write a song to you about learning to love," she teased, and at that, she left the Goth quiet, "what is it, _Jay_, cat got your tongue?"

"Jealous she got me first?" But that wasn't enough, and the Latina left the room, laughing, going down the stairs at top speed. "Vega!"

"Jade," Calvin stepped for the shadows, making the Goth pale further, but the albino just chuckled, "don't let her go."

With nothing else said between them, she went running down the stairs, blushing. She tackled the Latina, and began tickling her for good measure. The owner interrupted their antics, and accompanied them to the parking lot, where he whistled at the ride. He grinned at the pale girl, and with a roll of blue eyes, they bumped fists as he made an explosive sound. She then took out one of the coffee beans' bag and passed it; the man smiled brightly at the sight and took a breath of it, sighing in joy.

"Thanks Jade," he gave her a kiss on the piercing, which left the goth blushing; he just smiled at it. "Take care kiddo."

"Yeah, yeah," she replied in good nature, swatting him on the arm; at the raised eyebrow of her companion, she passed a jacket as she donned her own, speaking, "the main reason why they were both friends, was because of me. They were rivals in their arts, claimed theirs was better, and I developed a crush for him, to which Jazz took offense, until Einstein admitted that he actually liked Jazz _that_ way. I have no idea how it made it any better, after all, Cat was my constant companion..."

They said nothing, but before they could get away, the Goth's phone rang, and she made an aggravated noise. For her part, the Latina winced and covered her ears; when did the thespian get the classic scream that came before the killing in the movies? She then shuddered and gave her pale friend a glance as said teen answered; it was surprising that she hasn't heard the tone before. When was the last time Jade had received a call?

"West, this _better_ be good..." She demanded; for some reason, she never considered calling him by first name basis as she did with her mother.

"_I need you to babysit your brother and his friend,_" he said without beating around the bush.

"Uh huh, what makes you think I will?" Tori could tell she was being difficult just for the sake of being difficult; she was inspecting the black nail polish on her nails. "I have to do an assignment before the end of next week, else a teacher is going to make my life miserable."

"_Look, I don't care, you can work here,_" he hissed, clearly upset.

"And how come his mother _isn't_ taking care of him?" She spat back. "Isn't that supposed to be her job?"

"_She has a spa appointment,_" the man snapped back, and the teen felt a smirk forming, picturing the vein pulsing on the man's neck. "_Look, I'll pay you._"

"You pay us both," she began, almost as if it was a bargain, "thirty per hour."

"_What?!_" He was outraged, fuming. "_Fifteen._"

"Twenty." Her evil smirk in place.

"_Urgh! Infuriating girl, you win,_" he spat before hanging up; she grinned, looking at the phone expectantly and laughed when she answered. "_I expect you here in less that five!_"

"Well, I got us some free cash, and possibly some trouble to make Sikowitz happy." Her good mood came from making his father mad... Really, it shouldn't be that surprising... Tori sighed a bit. "What? Do you rather we pass that neighborhood again?"

"No!" The answer was squeaked, which was the desired reaction.

"Then get here so we can get this over with," she said, humming along the bike as it came to life, "chiz by our side, and that woman and her yapping dog will have left."

Before they left, both of them looked back at the tattoo parlor, they noticed that the pictures on display were being changed; Calvin's last message. One was the portrait he had finished, and the other was almost a direct opposite. Black background, dried grass that could break with one single step, a girl on combat boots, tight black jeans, black leather jacket, even black leather gloves not allowing her skin color to come through. It was even hard to distinguish the hair from the background, and the only thing even remotely distinguishable from the blackness was the pale, alabaster face, with pained, sorrowful anger. Then sunlight hit it, and they both took a breath. It was as if the picture transformed, the hair was the color of honey, not black anymore, the boots remained, but instead of jeans, they were fishnets, and she wore a dress the color of pulverized steel, playing with the light some more to show butterflies, fairies, mushrooms and other forest creatures roaming the dress, as if it was alive, all the creatures in random colors. Her arms were bare, it was as if darkness showed one side, and both couldn't help but wonder what it would look like under full moonlight. Jade turned away, for the pained expression hadn't changed, and she looked so _scared_ more than scary... The background had become midnight blue...

The ride was uneventful; Jade enjoyed ridding without a helmet, and Tori could get behind the idea, but both of them decided that the extra protection wouldn't be a bad idea. The Latina could feel the turmoil on the other teen's frame and felt lucky that they arrived in one piece. They also arrived on time, so taking deep, reassuring breaths, they both looked at one another, and with a non-verbal agreement of not speaking about the painting, turned to walk up the stairs, where a thin blonde woman opened the door.

"Honey, your daughter's here," the woman screeched, before leaving, thankfully, with the cursed dog in her purse, "I won't be leaving my dear here for you to mistreat him."

"That, only if I'm in a candid mood, which I'm not," the Goth replied with a roll of eyes, "you did ruin part of the fun though."

"I wouldn't let you close my baby!" The very idea was outrageous!

"Oh, don't worry, I wouldn't get close to it for the world," with a click of the tongue, she dragged her friend through the threshold, before slamming the door on the woman's face, "bitch."

"Jade!" Tyler scrambled from his place on the couch, leaving a blonde girl sitting by herself with scorn evident. "I'm so glad you came over."

"Tori, this is my little brother, Ty, Ty, this is Tori," she introduced the pair dully.

"Hey there Ty," the Latina gave the young boy a big smile, and he gave her his goofiest, "who's your friend?"

"She's Suzy," he said happily, but before he even turned around to begin the introductions, a ballon was thrown in their general direction, more specifically at Jade. "Sis!"

"Awww," the girl said with a frown as the Goth deftly caught it, looked at it briefly before throwing it behind her. "Shoot, this ain't no fun!"

"Uh, a double negative means a positive, you know," all eyes turned on the Latina, and bewildered, all she could say was "what?"

Before anyone could utter a word, the front door was opened and the ballon landed on the woman. With a furious cry, she slammed the door close again and this time, definetly leaving. The little kids broke down with laughter, while Jade snickered. Just then, Mr. West came down, not even sparing a glance at the Latina, probably not even seeing her, not that either cared much.

"Good, you arrived," all she did was raise her eyebrow and extend her hand, "really, asking for your money before its time."

"That, and any money to get the monsters to leave me alone," she said with a shrug; the girl scowled at her word choice, "so cough up and don't be such a cheap bastard."

"Show your father some respect," he hissed with ill concealed scorn, before digging his wallet for money, "what do you want it for?"

"Pizza, junk food, and soda," was the honest reply with a roll of eyes, and the man made an aggravated sound, "aren't you late already?"

"You little..." Yeah, Jade would definitely be Bart if they were the Simpsons family. With a deep scowl, at both teens, he forked over the cash; "fine, just behave!"

"This amount is only valid for seven hours and half, just so that we are clear," the Goth replied with a yawn, counting the cash, "don't forget."

The man scowled again, leaving Vega a lingering glance before a sneer became evident and he left. Tori felt caught off base, but soon forgot everything as she felt cash being pressed against her hand. She counted, hundred and fifty bucks; she didn't remembered ever being or having babysat before, so she really couldn't say much. With a shrug, the tanned female placed the cash on her bag in a secret compartment; even if Jade wouldn't try anything, she didn't feel safe around the girl, Suzy. The little blonde did have a Jade-esque vibe, which was never good, never good. Tyler, however, looked like a sweet kid, yet to be corrupted; Tori could tell that if left up to his parents, he would grow cold and calculating. It had happened to Jade, obviously, and she remembered her words on the tattoo parlor. _I just want be the one to remind you what it is to smile..._ She blushed at the memory, and lost in her mind, she didn't notice until the young boy tugged at her sleeve; it would seem that the girls were having troubles.

"I don't get why _you_ have to babysit us!" Suzy whined.

"Sorry your parents don't want to bother with you," the snarky reply caught the Latina off guard; she had seen 'Jade with Tots' before, then again these kids were older than the ones she was used to dealing with. "Now, get off my face!"

"Jade!" She couldn't help the outrage.

"What!?" The Goth demanded, snarl in place; Suzy gave her an odd look for interesting, still looking hurt. Yet, she was grateful for the interruption.

Tori took her friend's wrist, as she usually tugged her, and they spoke privately in the jacket closet; "what's your problem?! I've seen how you deal with kids—"

"She, is _weak_, I can see it in her eyes, I can see myself..." The pale teen began with a huff and ended with a sigh. "I was her age when my parents divorced, and I can tell she's going through the same pain, but I wasn't such a bit—"

"You were _adopted_ by a band of misfits," Tori dedpanned, and her statement wasn't denied, "you had support, and besides, you have no idea what else is going on in her life; your brother died, who knows what mess she's into."

The door opened, and the pale boy sneaked in, "her older sister, Lauren, is sick. Her parents constantly fight over it."

Just as quickly as he stepped inside, he left, and the older girls were left puzzled; had he been listening to their conversation? Jade smirked in pride, and the tanned female craned an eyebrow. _Band of misfits indeed_... Sad part was, she knew she would fit _quite_ well in that group; she had once, a long time ago. She missed that age, when she was three and had met a unique group of people, had been saved by an angel. Then she turned five and had to leave, even when she felt that she was capable of doing anything, as long as that angel remained by her side. But, that girl hadn't been her own personal guardian, and she had had to leave. The pain still stung, but at least it wasn't choking. The pair left the closet to find the kids laughing at some inane cartoon show. At soon as they were back, the blonde began literally attacking the Goth, and the teen wasn't pulling punches. The boy whimpered softly, face scrunched in discomfort; he didn't want his sister and best friend fighting. Somehow, the singer manged to put a stop to the tirade as her friend plopped down on a sofa, snarl in place, clearly pissed. At least they had stopped; they needed someing to do.

"Tyler," Tori began with a sigh, not sure what else to do, "do you have anything for us to do?"

"I..." He began, face illuminated, before taking off, probably to his room; his actions puzzled the girls, until he came stomping back down the stairs. "I have been wanting to build a tree house—"

Jade and Suzy made aggravated sounds, both thinking that the pictures he had were some stupid drawing; the fact they reacted the same way made them glare at each other. The boy ignored them both, flashing a shy smile at the tanned female who didn't scoff. He then displayed blueprints of a tree house, actual blueprints, and everyone was amazed. Tyler got all kinds of measurements done, and there wasn't only one; there were others that involved the tree's growth and how long he had to wait before doing anything. The kid had the makings of a great arquitect.

"How long have you been planning this?" Jade asked, awed; was she in a family of prodigies? Jazz with his music, Ty with his ... blueprints and her with her screenwriting skills.

"Mr. Francis helped you?" The blonde asked, awed as well, and with a smirk, the Latina high-fived the boy.

"Yeah, Mr. F helped me out," he replied with a grin, and although it disappointed the other child, there was something in his sister's eyes that made him unabashed in his happiness. "I measured the tree up as soon as I told him the idea, and he simply guided me through prepotions and such."

"Proportions," Tori corrected him, but to the kid, it was a tongue twister. He forgot about it as soon as he noticed his sister's eyes on him.

The pride in those green-blue orbs left him awed; not even their father ever displayed such emotion, and the ruffling of his fluffy, blond hair left him delirious in his joy. When Jade looked at him, and then at her optimistic friend, she noticed that their hazel eyes were identical in regarding her, and this time, she didn't feel as if her frozen heart was thawing, it actually felt as if they had chipped a chunk off. She felt vulnerable, but had no choice of doing much when that tanned hand was offered; the Goth chided herself for her thoughts, specially since she had obviously missed part of the conversation. Unable to do anything else, she allowed herself to be dragged to the backyard by Tori, who kept grinning and telling her something, but it was as if she had gone deaf. All the pale thespian could do, was feel as the warmth from her friend seeped through her skin and went directly to her heart, as though preventing another, thicker crust to cover the exposed part. Jade could smell her friend, a mixture of vanilla and apples, and held a hint of cinnamon; the Latina was definitely a _sweet_ girl. The touch they shared made her realize how soft tha tanned skinned really was, and she closed her eyes briefly, imagining how that skinned would taste, and she felt her body reacting. Swallowing, she forced herself to return to earth, and she could finally feel a little wind tussling with their long hair. She then noticed her little brother and his little friend bringing over some large boards; sighing, she silently agreed to do some woodworking.

Tori took some time to examine the kids, since she could tell the pale teen was off, probably building castles in the sky. Tyler had hazel eyes like his father, but his were softer, kinder and had a mop of blond hair which, when sunlight hit, became very light but inside, it looked like honey. Suzy, on the other hand, had pale blonde hair inside and outside, with cerulean eyes.

"Do you guys want to help?" Jade asked, pulling up her sleeves, getting ready.

"Are you really going to do this?" Tori whispered and was unsettled by the smile on the other girl.

"My brother had given me a hammer so that I wouldn't run around with scissors," the Goth confided in another whisper, her mouth near the other's ear, "my first toy, remember?"

"Yeah..." The other breathed out, both shivering slightly at their proximity. "I'm game."

"Me too!" Tyler called, passing both teens hammers, giving his sister a toothy grin and a tight hug.

"Alright, since I don't trust either of you," the blonde was grumbling to herself on a corner, clearly not looking forward to participating, "I'm going to nail several in place, and then you'll hammer them down with care. Tori, if you screw up, I'm breaking your fingers."

A swallow later, and they were all working. Soon, the Latina got a hang of things, and the pale teen forgot about her. They were making a board to serve as base of the house, which they would later have to nail to a branch that the kid had forced from the tree using a technique taught by his teacher. There were no crushed fingers, and the girl brought them lemonade, to which Jade refused to take, much to the girl's irritation.

"If you want to prank me," the thespian began, showing her the glass as it fizzled about, "try making it inconspicuous."

Frustrated, the girl tried over and over, and although Tori couldn't tell at all why her friend didn't take the glasses, even if they looked fine. She decided no to get involved, all she did was share some of her own. Once she offered her glass; Tyler was happy nailing nails down to notice, they shared a look, knowing how weird it was to offer and accept the drink. Eyes never leaving the other, as though it were a challenge, the Goth took a drink, passed the glass back to the singer, who, hazel not leaving blue, took a drink herself. Reaching a non-verbal agreement, they shared their glass, and Tyler would be happily oblivious to it and just fetch more 'for Tori' and there would be no further trouble. The teens looked at each other, saying nothing but still finding it weird. In the middle of it, Jade had taken some time to request some junk food from a nearby convenience store: cheese balls, cheese sticks, Pringles (all three flavors plus a new one), and two different kind of sodas, all family size, and the food was about five per, while there were two sodas per taste. Tori had gone to pay, the girl had gone with her.

"I heard your sister's sick," the Latina began tentively; she knew the temperament enough to realize that beating around the bush was suicidal.

"She has cancer," the girl replied, frowning at the tears that threatened to fall, "I'll kill him."

"Do you visit her often?" The girl was surprised by the question, and nodded eagerly.

"I've tried staying over," she confessed, "I miss the way she read me stories; not that she has too! I'm too old for stories..."

The teen chuckled softly, carrying the bags inside, "my aunt Sonya would do the same; when I was eleven, she was in an accident and in a coma for a year and a half. I would read to her because I missed her, and was afraid she wouldn't do it anymore, even if I was too old for bedtime stories." Her confession made the youngster feel better, and bit back the remark she had been about to spat when the heard the laughter.

"Do you think she might like that?" Suzy inquired softly.

"She might, but you still have to ask her," the older girl supplied, "it's normal to be scared—"

"I'm not scared—" The singer bit her lower lip at the slip, then looked into those clear blue eyes, and her eyes widen, reading very well into those eyes, _I'm terrified_.

"Hey, as long as you never give up and visit her often, she'll get better," and she meant those words; it was one of the reasons she was so close to her aunt, "once you give up, she starts giving up and you know what that means."

She hugged the girl, leaving the food in the kitchen, where greedy hands could take any if they wanted. They stayed close for a while, the blonde finally finding much needed support in regards to her older sister. She confided in the Latina, crying softly, and the reassurance was genuine, and the comfort was real and honest. Tori sat with the girl on her lap, and plowed her to let it all out, and did her best to reassure her; it was a great risk. If Lauren died, then the kid would blame her for it, but she was willing to risk it, if only because Suzy clearly needed it. The singer then kissed the girl's temple, served herself some more lemonade and went to help her raven-haired friend. Tyler went back inside as she left, and after a while, just before they were done, they heard Tyler opening the door, but not running over.

"Suzy and I are leaving!" He cried, before he closed the door.

Jade had just nailed the last one, drank the shared lemonade, and scowled. It would seem, that trouble time had arrived. Good thing too; trouble while hammering would have led to a hospital, and that combination between her and Vega was never good. Plus, it would grow dark soon.

* * *

A/N: I didn't plan for the slow trip through a bad neighborhood, but it does sound like something this pair would try, or at least Jade. Didn't plan for Calvin either, xD I did plan for Suzy, but you'll learn why later, :B


	9. Chapter 7: Trouble Time

_Disclaimer_: I do not own Victorious, it belongs to Dan and Nickelodeon. Also, I don't claim ownership of: '_Don't You Worry Child_', song composed and written by Swedish House Mafia. For the purpose of its use, the lyrics have been modified. I also have nothing to do with the Looney Tunes.

Thanks to my betas: the-original-lovelace and StakeTheHeart for their impeccable job and hard work.

* * *

Chapter 7: Trouble Time

"Tori, check the house," Jade commanded, running to the front of the house; the Latina crossed the house and opened the front door, and both frowned. "They wouldn't have enough time to leave..."

"Their little legs give us the advantage," the brunette replied, agreeing, and waited for the Goth to come back inside before closing the door and bolting it, "besides, the snacks disappeard. I check upstairs and you here?"

"There aren't many rooms in the first floor," she replied, but still motioned for them to go upstairs, "you can check ground and second, I'll check third and fourth."

"Okay..." Really, what else could she say? The house was huge. "Hey Tyler, where are you?"

She was certain that the blond wouldn't stay quiet when someone looked for him, but of course, things couldn't be that easy. Seeing blue eyes rolling, she ignored them. First thing, she checked the rooms. There seemed to be about five in total, so, as the other day durning school searching for her friend, any room was as good as the other. She opened a door and found a bucket of tar (how the heck did the kids get their hands on _that_?!) almost falling over her; shocked, she jumped a bit, then she heard some snickering inside the room and, stepping as firmly as she could, she slid through the sticky floor. Trying to gain her balance, she got turned around and fell through some sticky substance that was placed before the bathroom entrance. Making a disgusted noise, Tori heard as if something got turned on, sounded like a fan, and she saw some feathers blowing past her and groaned. Really, trying to make her look like Foghorn Leghorn from the Looney Tunes... She knew who the culprit was.

Jade chuckled to herself; it was clear that her companion was having trouble. Being a goody-two-shoes, she wouldn't have ever played pranks on her parents, most likely not even Trina. Sure, the Goth herself wouldn't actually bother her brother, but since he was constantly flocked by girls (another reminder of Beck) and Cat really liked Jazz, and she was a _very_ good friend and so, she played pranks, mostly to the girls. Okay, so she played one or two on her big brother, but they were teasing and just to test her skill against his; he was a superb prankster in his time... Approaching a door with care, she felt the ground in front of it, placed a careful hand upon to the door to check for strains, and after a quick evaluation, pushed the door while getting out of the way. A round, log-like pillow was thrown with some force, and even if it wouldn't hurt her, it would wind her. Taking the projectile and stopping it, she unhinged it and threw it through the door she would have been pushed into had the pillow caught her. Her green eyes widen and she winced at the sound of the mouse traps going off. She had to admit it, the kid had a pair, but found her a little lacking on creativity.

The search went on in such fashion but for a minor mishap. Tori had been, turned half chicken (the back of her legs, her arms, her back and even her hair, was covered in white feathers), her face had been hit by a pie _several_ times and her hair was covered in honey. When she entered Tyler's room, the last she was checking on the second floor, she was temporarily blinded by some water, although she could tell that her arms had a different kind of substance in them. Being on the dark, her foot fell upon the boy's skate and she fell with a yelp and a resounding thud.

Jade, hearing the commotion, sighed, but couldn't find it in her to just let the other girl be in pain, at least not in her father's residence. Her future could be ruined, and even if she wasn't the one who lived for money, she easily admitted to it being an extremely effective way of making her life comfortable. Going down two flights, she heard the other female groaning from her brother's room. Upon entering, the thespian began laughing, taking out her phone and a picture of her companion to updated her Slap page. Shaking her head, Jade helped her up and, still snickering, one of her fingers went to the creamy cheek and took whiff of it; whipped cream. With a smirk, she cleaned her finger with her tongue.

"Come, we check the attic and then you'll get cleaned up," the other promised, grinning, dragging the Latina by the wrist; Tori had a flashback of the pale hand holding the dragon scissor up to the angelic depiction, "it was my room when I was forced to live with him, and I'm sure neither bothered with it."

Still wary of possible traps, she sneaked a peak, just for her eye to be sprayed with some kind of sticky substance. Tori immediately opened the trapdoor and led her injured companion to the other room, which obviously had to be... The bathroom! Jackpot! The Goth began spraying her face with water, but her hiss meant that it was doing nothing for her.

"Quit," she stopped doing what she was doing, eyes closed, then she felt something pressed to her eye, "open it, leave it like that for a while, then begin blinking quickly."

Doing as told, she found the pain lessening. A warning to close her eyes, then again the tanned hand was pressed to her eye, containing water, and without prompt, she began blinking, after opening her eye for a bit. When she began breathing normally, the Latina stepped back, and began blowing gently on the right eye, then looked at it, then turned the pale face to look at the mirror. It was slightly red, but it would pass quickly. She said nothing, just turned to leave the room altogether; at the dumbfounded look of her friend, she scoffed and frowned softly.

"The are towels over there," she pointed, "I'll look for clothes..."

After about fifteen minutes, and aggravated sound came from the door and Tori almost panicked.

"I'm not done yet," she called from the shower, just for a pale hand to thrust forward a towel, "Jade!"

"What!?" The other snarled, eyes tight and face turned the other way. "Here I am, to payback for the eye thing, so put it on you."

When the towel was taken, albeit several seconds to long, the tension on her frame visibly left. Another few seconds, she turned, then rolled her eyes, turned the girl and began attacking the hair with far too much shampoo. She swallowed and close her eyes, exhaling through her nose; one look at that bare back, and it took all her will power to close her eyes and not check out the Latina's derriere. The bronzed skin looked absolutely tempting, specially with the drop of water running down it. The thespian allowed her hands to do as it usually did, closed her eyes, and tried to keep from doing something stupid; she couldn't help but recognize the faint smell of vanilla and something that she could only describe as sunny, as the singer's. Tori said nothing, just began relaxing against the skilled hands; she managed to suppress a moan, but not the shivers. She had noticed the backwards donned bathrobe, obviously to not get wet, and she felt thankful. Sure, there was no way of defining their relation, but deep down, both knew that they could trust the other. Then she heard a snarl and almost let go of her towel; she squeaked and blushed, and prayed to the heavens that her annoyed companion didn't notice.

"Damned that kid!" Jade hissed. "You wouldn't consider cutting your hair short?"

"Huh?!" Really? "That bad?"

"Worse, the glue reacts to the water, and not in a good way," Tori whimpered at this, shoulders slumped, "don't worry, I promise I won't leave you _too_ bad."

"It's not that Jade," she sighed softly, "I made a promise to a friend long time ago, and ever since, I haven't had my hair short."

"It'll be chin length," the other huffed, "what promise could be _so_ important?"

"Long hair symbolizes something meaningful to me," the Latina spoke with a light blush creeping; that day, the thespian discovered something: her friend possessed a full body blush. Just the knowledge the Latina had been trying to keep. "Ugh! Whatever!"

Jade said nothing, she just twirled her brother's ring, and after a brief pause (tortuous minutes for Tori), the Latina heard a chair being slammed and as she turned, she was thrown another dry towel. At the questioning glance, the Goth craned her pierced brow and left. The singer switched towels and approached the chair, finding a bathrobe on it and placed it over the towel; she did nothing with her hair, after all, she was going to get it cut. The pale teen arrived back with an apron for haircutting, and the scissors Cat gave her for a birthday.

"Look, Vega," she began, noticing how her friend was bitting her lower lip, "there is no way around it. The honey somehow helped remove the worst of it, but it only covered this much."

"How about adding more?" Was the hopeful question; Jade was pointing to her chin, and at the negative, the other female drooped. "Why?"

"The conditions were ideal, if I wash your hair with honey..." Green eyes averted. "I honestly don't know, but I'm not willing to take such a risk..."

"Ok..." Tori sighed, then took a deep breath, and closed her eyes, sitting ramrod straight, earning a sad chuckle from her friend. "So you do know what it symbolizes..."

"Yeah I do," the words came along with the snips from the scissors, "considering we know about three boyfriends, though you could have more, I'm surprised."

"Why, you only ever had Beck?" The question was bitter.

"Of course," that wasn't an answer she had expected. "Given, with Daniels, the amount of time you guys were together should mean that you guys were nothing. I'm glad to know you're not willing to allow just _any_ boy in..."

"Ha ha, quite subtle..." Now that she thought about it, she could see what the thespian meant. "You make a point though..."

"Of course I do," that tone of voice was what made Jade unbearable; really, and there was Tori, thinking that she was being understood. "I will admit to having doubts in regards in Daniel and Carson though. Never minds those during your previous high school..."

"Why, I didn't think you cared," she meant those words, and laughed lightly at the groan the other made.

"Need I remind you the fate of your hair rests in my hands, literally?" It was a threat, but for some reason, Tori didn't seem fazed by it.

"Since you're so interested," she began, all peppy, "there was John, Anthony, Br—"

"Shut it, Vega!" She felt the scissors on her throat, but all she could do was laugh. "I mean it!"

"So do I," and began again, "Johnny Depp, Anthony Hopkins, Brad Pitt—"

"Really, only Daniel?" The snippets began sounding again, and she felt a comb passing through her hair.

"He was... Special, still is," she was fond of the boy, although that was obvious from her jealousy; kissing him while he dated Cat... "He reminds me of Beck a little."

"And yet there was a mutual breakup..." More snips.

"You know, you should be careful of your words," pause, "'cause I could say the very same thing to you."

"Touché," came the reply, her hair was combed again, and the snipping resumed, "well, too bad for the promise."

"Hey, how come there was a chair on your bathroom?" It was a valid questions, but she could tell that it had made the snip stop short, and she risked opening her eyes and noticed that the pale face had a scowl, but she was obviously intent on her job.

"This place was only a house," she replied bitterly, and proceeded with the snipping, although those actions didn't increase in viciousness, her voice did, "I didn't belong here, and the attic couldn't be locked, so I sought refugee here, and I would spend hours inside, reading, until that man and woman decided to leave my room. It was either a book or my homework."

"You missed your home," it was a soft tone, and it forced their eyes to meet through the mirror.

"Yeah..." Suddenly she turned the Latina around; it was a desk chair, and got in her face, as if gauging for a brief instance and considering her options. "While he kept me here, he actually tried to sell the place, but ... I guess it was my mom whom, prevented him from actually doing so..."

"What do you mean?" She knew Amber had been passive through the divorce, mainly through the Goth's comments, so she was as surprised as her friend by the sudden epiphany, as was said friend. What was amazing was the lack of action towards the invasion of personal space. "She could actually do that?"

"My brother bought that house, and left it to me," Jade began, eyes searching everywhere for answers, then turned to those hazel orbs, and after a while, the Latina realized her space had been invaded and swallowed a bit, "but I was a minor, and under his custody, his _full_ custody..."

"And yet he hadn't been able to sell the place..." There was awe in her voice and she couldn't help it, forgetting the previous awkwardness. "I guess ... Amber, isn't so bad after all."

"Yeah, I guess," soft lips smiled, procuring one from the sitting teen. "Here now, you better like it."

A mirror was placed before her face at a prudent distance, and she could see the reflection of the mirror behind. She could feel a light frown beginning to come to life, but she was just shocked.

"I look like JLo from _Enough_..." The words came tumbling out, not even waiting for her to consciously process them. "I like it."

They smiled at each other, and the apron was taken from her. Jade then forced her to stand and, in one fluid motion, left her naked. An eep later, with the Latina turning to figure what the Goth was planning and trying to cover her body as best she could, but the pale teen was already on her way to the door, leaving her to her awkwardness.

"Get another shower, and make it quick!" She snapped starting to close the door. "We still have two stranded kids to find."

"Hey, don't be too harsh on Suzy," the singer requested, the door not fully close, "her sister has cancer; it's hard enough when you lose them, it's harder when you don't know _if_ you'll lose them..."

Jade then closed it with finality, and sighed softly; she definitely could relate to the blonde. For her part, Tori had no idea what to think about the whole encounter. Even more so, the fact that the Goth _actually_ knew what she had been doing when she had been rubbing her scalp, and it was obvious that she had cut hair before. Really, quite full of surprises. But she didn't have time to think about it all. She went back to the shower and finished in five minutes, a new personal best. As she dried herself, she bit her lip as her body began imagining the light touches those incredible dexterous pale fingers would provide, making her skin bristle, and a fire to ignite in the pit of her belly. Making her mind go blank through sheer will alone, she heard the Goth leaving the attic and peeked, and noticed the clothes and began changing, grateful for the brief reprieve and the few minutes alone.

**5 minutes before, as she took her shower, in the other room...**

The thespian also began wondering what had happened. Just how close were they becoming? She passed her hand through her hair, and looked back at her ring, and bit her lower lip. Really, was it weird that she had never had another boyfriend but Beck? Her worries forced her into autopilot as she began skimming through her closet, and seeing a blue hoody, she remembered the Halloween prompt, but left it at the back of her mind as she kept searching. Why had she ruined her chance with perfection? Because, even if Beck was for her, since everyone in her family liked him (not that she cared about _their_ opinions; her father would no longer demand her attention to try to make her make him proud) no one in _his_ liked her. So really, that wasn't the basis of a relation, but it was a good fundament. Maybe, after all this was over, what ever 'this' was, if she actually managed to grow up, if only a little, then maybe, just maybe, they could be together again. Really, she was no goody-shoes like Vega, or happy and chipper like Cat, she actually had nothing worthy but her wicked sense of humor and her play-writing skills... She had a lot of growing to do...

When she returned from her musings, she found herself searching the second floor, and parts of the first, until she hit the basement; it was locked. Mystery solved. She went back to the attic, and found the Latina dressed in a a latex top and skirt, with matching boots in her favorite purple tone, and the misunderstood teen slapped her forehead. Noticing that there was also a leotard in black and matching Chinese skirt, along with a dark blue cape and the hoody she had noticed before; she would have to ask her mother for help in customizing it.

"Darn it, I thought about the Halloween prompt and is is the result," rolling her eyes, she went back to her closet and nailed the tanned girl right on the chest with a pair of skinny jeans. "Change into those, but take the skirt with you, you'll need it for—"

"Halloween, got it," was the reply, and she began changing while the Goth searched for a duffle bag, "do you have cardigan or something to lend me?"

"You gotta get used to it Vega," she was nailed again, this time, between the shoulders, and it was a plaited black shirt, "gotta guess, always the perfect pixie scout, right?"

"Ugh," the comment was getting old, "where are the kids?"

"Basement."

"There's a basement?!"

"Yeah..." The thespian glared at her, packing the skirt in the bag, "had you searched properly, you would have found it."

A sigh of regret was all the reply. They left the room, it was darkening quickly and they feared the worst. Two kids alone in a basement, with snacks and sodas... Good thing they were salty snacks, but still, their sugar high must be too _high_. Before approaching the basement door though, Jade made a slight stop as Tori tried the door.

"It's locked." She said, turning the knob again.

"Really?" The look it her eyes said _genius_ and it hurt more than the sarcasm; raising her hand to the hazel eyes level, she allowed the keys to dangle from the keyring holstered on her middle finger. "Imagine that..."

"How did you find those?" Green eyes rolled and that was when Tori noticed: depending on the light and how it hit the highlights in the hair, it brought out one of the two colors more.

"Humans are creatures of habit Vega," was the bored reply as she began trying every single key, "that man keeps his keys on the same spot, for the entire house in case of an emergency."

"If a thief—"

"They would have to know where they are," the irritated tone was clear; she was half way through the keyring as well as her temper, "besides, the front door can only open from the inside (or keys); you should tell your dad to look into _that_."

"What's that supposed to mean?" She blinked politely as the other girl did the same, sliding the key inside without noticing. "Sorry, Cat much?"

"First off, she sounds _much_ more offended than that," she turned the knob, second, "every time anyone goes over your place, they stopped knocking or ringing the bell after a while and just entered as if they owned the place."

"Oh..." Really, she had no excuse, the Goth was right. "Uh..."

"Yeah..." Was the smug reply, as if she knew the Latina's thoughts. "Now come, I want revenge for my eye."

"Your eye?!" Tori pulled at her short hair softly. "What about _this_?!"

"Minor compared to mine," she pointed at her eye with her middle finger, flipping the tanned girl off; had she done it on purpose? "Now move it, Vega!"

They proceeded it to the sounds of laughters, glee, and giggles. Interesting enough, they were watching a marathon of 1,000 ways to die, both of them having an obvious delight for all the macabre-ness. _Maybe it's part of the West gene_, Tori considered, but then saw the girl and shook her head, _nah_. The basement was decked as an entertainment theater and game arcade, and she found herself impressed.

"Alright kids, party's over!" Jade snarled, and they could see the girl nudging the boy on his ribs.

"You said those were the only set of keys?!" Suzy hissed, clearly upset; they were on a bowl on the table.

"Wait, you know where dad keeps the spares?" He asked in awe, ignoring the blonde, who looked at him with horrified, wide sky blue eyes.

"You haven't learned that yet?" Jade asked, slightly amazed with the slowness of the kid, "no matter, I didn't enjoy all those booby traps."

"Booby traps?" He looked at his friend with a soft frown; Tori found it cute while Jade rolled her pristine eyes, "you promised me they wouldn't get hurt!"

"Only if they allowed what was meant to happen, to happen," she grumbled to herself, turning back the tv and raising the volume but the tv went mute.

"Allow what you wanted to happen, to _happen_?!" Tori demanded, furious. "I would have been drenched in tar and a bucket of fish would have fallen on me!"

"Really?" Maybe she hadn't given the kid enough credit. "Well, I don't care, about _either_—"

"Oh hell no," the Latina snapped, taking the remote and turning the tv off completely, "you guys are going to clean this place up, serve some more snacks on the bowls, and—"

"Can we watch _Anastasia_?" Tyler asked sweetly, noticing the time; the kids had begun their arduous labor and the tanned female was in possession of the control. "I've been looking forward to it."

"Ohh, I like _Anastasia_," Jade bit her lip and controlled herself as to not hit her forehead with the palm of her hand, and to not find the reply or reaction something (cute, adorable, etc...), "it's been a long time since I've watched it."

"Did you guys finish the soda?" She decided to ask; anything to keep her from her thoughts, not noticing that she had asked and not snapped.

"No," the girl grumbled, glaring at the boy, "_he_ said we should drink juice."

"Good," came the reply; the thespian took a bowl of cheese balls and got the green Pringles' can and the red soda, "ugh, can we watch something else?"

"Shh," Tori requested; she and Tyler were sharing the cheese sticks and she had the green soda with her, "it's about to start."

Rolling her eyes, Jade only perked up at the sight of Rasputin, and began laughing at his actions. After a while though, it became monotonous, and the girl would look at her with wide blue eyes. She could tell what was wrong with Suzy, she had lived it, but she had never been as intense as the girl. Then again, Jazz's best friends had always been there for her to help her go through that rough spot. Knowing that she could do nothing to prevent the inevitable from happening, and then the custody battle over her began. Although in her father's case it was more the trusts and funds that came with her. It became easier to forget all his training about wanting to please her daddy, and more concerned with her own well being, and perhaps, it was time to talk things over with her mother and sort through things. She loved the woman dearly, but the treason felt too deep, and since she was determined to grow up, if only a little, that was another step towards it. Besides, now she really had no excuse for not being able to go to her plays, not that she had ever invited her... Maybe, just maybe she was at fault there. She recovered from her musing as the blonde pulled on her sleeve; she scowled at the girl, but the child was sporting one of her own.

"Make it stop," she begged, hissing in the general direction of the Latina, who had begun crying, and she hid her disgust just for the benefit of irking the girl, "please, I'm sorry about all the traps, just make it stop!"

"I'm ordering pizza," she said with a sigh, standing up; the girl didn't follow her train of thought, but followed her over when the Goth motioned with her head, "I don't care what either of you want."

"I heard that!"

"And what will you do about it Vega?" She was turning the knob and rolling her eyes.

"Ask for Italian!" Came the shout before she could close the door fully.

"Ugh, obnoxious," she muttered as she went to the phone.

"I agree." The blonde scoffed, following her for lack of anything better to do.

"Yes, I would like to order for one pizza, your biggest size, half Napolitan," she looked questioningly at the girl, whose eyes widen, "half..."

"Hawaiian!" Then, as if thinking better, said again, a tad shyly, the other tad defiant, "thin crust!"

"Yes, that's right, Hawaiian, yes, if you heard thin crust, why are you asking?" She waited in line for a few seconds, then hanged up. "Okay, that's done."

"No soda?"

"We have two untouched liters down there," she reminded the girl, who nodded at that, "besides, you two have been drinking juice, and maybe it's best if left at that."

"What will you do with the remaing sodas?" She asked as she followed the pale teen up the house.

"I'll keep them," came the nonchalant reply, then she countered with a question of her own, "why are you following me?"

"I dunno," the girl shrugged at the question, and it seemed good enough for the teen, "why is your friend dressed with that latex top?"

Jade sighed, but, she was really patient, and she knew that the kid probably was starving for attention; scratch the probably. "We have a Halloween competition at Hollywood Arts."

"Really?" The blue eyes were genuine in their curiosity, but she couldn't tell if it was because they were heading to the attic or was genuine.

"Yeah..." She grinned at the kid, who seemed to preen as they both entered the dark room, and she was awed; it was all lined with red. "Found it! Come along, back downstairs."

"That's your room?" She had to be pulled out; it looked different at night; there were constellations on the ceiling, and she could tell one was of a dragon. "Wow, I like it!"

"Thought as much," she closed the trapdoor, and craned the pierced brow at the child, and then remembered one of the benefits of the attic; her brother couldn't get in it, so she did wonder how the kid got inside. "You never rigged it, did you?"

"I couldn't get in it," she pouted, "why?"

"Then I triggered my own trap," was the reply, and they both laughed, stopping at the dinner room, where she extended an extendable piano that she had left behind, "you like to play?"

"Never tried..." She watched the fingers skillfully moving and creating a nice melody, one she didn't recognize. "Sounds pretty."

"Yeah... Moonlight Sonata," she smiled at the kid, giving her the keyboard, "go on, it doesn't bite."

"Uh... Ok..." She tried to mimic the hand movement, but it got difficult after a while and she pushed the thing back in disgust, "ugh, it's boring..."

"It really isn't," was the chuckled response, "you just have to practice a lot to get it right..."

"Oh..." Sky-blue eyes stared fixedly at the pale, skillful hands. "So, what's the Halloween event about?"

"Superheroes," was the reply.

"Whom did you chose?"

"It's a group activity," Suzy noticed that the Goth actually had a nice laugh.

"You don't seem like a..." She struggled for the word. "Team player?"

"I have to be," the smirk wasn't one of 'higher-than-thou' snobbish, just, 'I-know-what-I'm-talking-about', "if I want to be able to direct others, or be part of a movie, I need to know this."

"What about when you're famous?" Such innocent eyes despite the experience.

"Even more," she winked, playing a particularly complex piece slowly, then faster, "cameras, pictures, stalkers, fans..."

"So, which superhero team?" Suzy asked after a while, and the pale female smirked, as if proud that she could still keep the idea going.

"Teen Titans," she said with a small laugh at the craned brow, or attempt at doing it, "I don't think you might have seen it—"

"Oh I have," the reply came with laughter, "I have a cousin who enjoys collecting comics and such, but since I'm too lazy to read, he showed me the tv show."

"Huh..." She had impressed the older girl, and she smiled, then scowled.

"Wait, I'm not supposed to be talking to you."

"And why's that?"

"Because everyone is always trying to get me talk about my feelings and crap;" she sounded so bitter, and at the other's snort, she scowled, "I'm _not_ talking to you, or anybody!"

"I don't want you to talk me about that _crap_," the honesty of the reply shocked the girl; Jade began playing faster and faster, awing the girl, "that one, that isn't _my_ room because I refused to live with that man, and I discovered that my mom might not be so bad..."

"You kidding?" The other girl appeared surprised and appealed, "With that stupid dog—"

"_She_ isn't my mother," she stopped playing and made fists of her hands, slamming them on the table without touching the piano, "you're _not_ the only one who has had _crap_ thrown their way..."

The hiss was interrupted by the bell; scooping the piano, she threw it on the sofa in the anteroom and went to answer the door, followed by a flabbergasted blonde. Opening the door, the delivery boy swallowed, and he was obviously trying not to pee on himself. Seeing this, the child snickered at him, and he scowled back, until a snap of fingers drew his attention. She opened the humongous box a little, took a sniff (Pablo's lessons hadn't been a total waste), and after eyeing with some care, received it from the boy. He sighed in relief until the door was shut on his face and he began scowling. Jade, for her part, left the pizza on a little table, did some math and took out the cash. Opening the door, the Goth noticed the boy's eyes widen from surprise, but his scowl was caught and she glared. He looked reasonably sheepish, so she gave him his tip. Not bothering with words, she once again closed the door on his face and locked it. Taking the box, they went back to the basement, the girl opening the door as the teen carried the food. They were thankful to catch the ending of the movie.

"Oh, food!" The other two said, equal goofy grins and hunger displayed as they watched the box being placed down. "In time for another movie!"

"No, _this_ time, _I_ chose," Jade threatened both, and they simply swallowed and nodded as she went through the collection of DVDs, but she literally went _through_ it. "Aha, I knew he wouldn't be able to find it."

"Uh, what are we watching?" Tori asked, some fear sneaking into her voice.

"What do you think?" Jade grinned wickedly and presented the case. "_The Scissoring_."

Tori spent the entire movie terrified, and ended up cowering behind Jade. Fortunately, the kids were too busy taking glee in the movie. That's when the Latina decided that there was a West-gene with a taste for the macabre, decadent, and gore. Sure, it could be developed, but the person had to be twisted and lived through hell... Jade's problem was the gene, she had no doubt of that; playing with scissors when she was little, watching that movie, which was obviously _Director's Cut_ edition... The Latina almost fainted, and couldn't eat at all. No one seemed to care though...

"Relax," the Goth whispered on her ear, "you need to learn to enjoy even the tiniest bit of malevolence in life."

"That isn't tiny!" She hissed in reply, and her companion laughed and passed her a slice of the one she wanted, then placed a comforting arm around the tanned shoulders. "Thanks..."

"Mmmm," was her only reply; she did feel better with human contact, and managed to begin eating.

After the movie, (Jade tucked it on the duffel) they played around some of the arcade machines, while Tori tried to will herself to eat. A flash of metal and she jumped, just to see that it was Jade showing the kids the scissors, and she had to close her hazel eyes, take deep, shuddering breaths before she could continue eating. She managed two slices more (she had a weakness for napolitan pizza) before her belly began complaining a bit. Having finished half of her bottle, she went to the restroom and when she came back, she could see there was some tension again. She went towards her friend, who was holding her phone tightly, before reaching a decision. She placed it on the speakers and a song began booming, and as the music began, Tori lifted her eyes to watch her. No, it wasn't surprising that the Goth liked _Swedish House Mafia_, but that she would chose that song to _sing_ to the child who was giving her trouble... The thespian was definitely weak against children, or maybe just Suzy...

"There was a time  
I used to look into my father's eyes.

In a happy home  
I was a princess, I had a gold throne."  
Jade sang, pain in her eyes, soft scowl on her now hard features.  
"Those days are gone,  
Like the memories on the walls.  
I hear the songs  
From the places where I was born."

"Upon the hill across the blue lake,  
That's where I had my first heartbreak.  
I still remember how it all changed."  
Now it was Tori's turn, and even if they hadn't practice the song, it felt right.  
"My father said,  
Don't you worry, don't you worry, child.  
See heaven's got a plan for you.  
Don't you worry, don't you worry now...  
Yeah!"

"Don't you worry, don't you worry, child.  
See heaven's got a plan for you."  
Jade repeated, her eyes laughing.  
"Don't you worry, don't you worry now.  
Yeah!"

"There was a time  
I met a girl of a different kind."  
Tori began, a finger on her chin, then she pointed at the thespian; the pale cheeks blushed softly.  
"We ruled the world,  
I thought I'd never lose her out of sight.  
We were so young, I think of her now and then."  
A disappointed sigh escaped the Latina, and she kneeled in front of the troubled sky-blue eyed girl.  
"I still hear the songs reminding me of a friend."

"Upon the hill across the blue lake,  
That's where I had my first heartbreak."  
Jade began, and Tori could tell she meant those words, and her heart constricted.  
"I still remember how it all changed.  
My brother said,"

"Don't you worry, don't you worry, child.  
See heaven's got a plan for you."  
Both girls sang together, sang for the child, and their words seemed to get to her. Suzy stood and began singing with them, and they smiled, specially since she wasn't that bad.

"Don't you worry, don't you worry now.  
Yeah!"

"Oh, oh, oh!  
Oh, oh, oh!  
Oh, oh, oh!"  
Tyler sang, laughing as his voice wasn't on pitch.

"See heaven's got a plan for you," Tori and Jade sang, the former making it sound like a promise, the latter making it sound like a demand.

"See heaven's got a plan for me!" Suzy remarked along the teens and then the kids had a fit of giggles, and they laughed.

"Don't you worry, don't you worry, child.  
See heaven's got a plan for you.  
Don't you worry, don't you worry now.  
Yeah!"

The teens began laughing with the kids they had to be watching.

"Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh!" Tyler began again, this time, nailing it.

"Yeah!" Suzy called, laughing again.

The song ended, and the exhausted kids passed out after a while. Jade began cleaning while Tori began tucking the children beneath a blanket. Afterwards, they heard the shrill voice of the woman who had gone to her spa appointment. An irritated Jade stomped softly up the stairs and demanded for the woman to stay quiet.

"If you don't shut up..." The Goth began, but Tori couldn't hear the reply. "Look lady, we were asked to babysit the kids; if you need a sitter, we'll have to charge you extra. Then shut it!

"Whore..." She muttered as she went back down, checking and figuring they still had half an hour with the kids.

"For the love of— Jade," the singer began, siting in one of the love seats; the children had taken the couch, "I'll have nightmares..."

"Awww," the girl mocked, laughing, "really Vega, you need to relax a bit, it's just a movie."

"No, it's _the_ most bloody film ever," was the reply; it was obvious that the Latina had been scarred, "really, I'm questioning your brother's sanity for showing you such a film."

"Heh, Tyler is about that age," she just realized, and said boy began turning about, "what is it Ty?"

"Oh, no, I thought you were gone," he said with a yawn before cuddling his pillow, "I won't need Loki yet..."

The words made his sister smile, and at the inquisitive look, she rolled her eyes.

"I gave him a Loki pillow after he watched the movie _Thor_," she shrugged as she went and sat right besides Tori; even if there were other seats, "by the way, I found a portable piano that we can use for André's Halloween costume."

"Hmm," came the reply; they remained side by side, not really minding the nearness, "you're really great with kids, you know that?"

"Why thank you," the sarcasm made hazel orbs hide beneath lids, clearly in pain, "I knew that..."

"Sorry..."

"It's okay," she opened one eye and looked at the pale teen, "I have a hard time taking a compliment."

"No chiz, Sherlock," it was her turn to be sarcastic, but one look into those eyes told her she expected the worst.

"Keep digging," came the reply and Tori groaned; definitely, she had been looking for that one and the grin didn't make it any better, "Watson."

They kept teasing, Jade having a hard time trying to not think about the tanned skin dripping, almost tasting it with its vanilla and apple sunny-like smell, a part of her drowning in that tinkling voice... Tori wasn't any better herself, her skin tingling at the treading and capable fingers, and as the hand pressed over her mouth as she laughed, the citrus smell of the Goth drove a thought she had been evading: licking those limbs. She was prevented by the doorbell as it rang, and they knew that the girl's parents had arrived. Jade took hold of Tyler, using the chance to move him to his room, while Tori was tasked with giving Suzy back to her parents. Not having the heart to wake her, she carried the girl as the Goth opened the door to the cold night. After a few change of pleasantries (in which Jade took no part on, of course) the Latina closed the door and went after the duffel, taking the piano on the sofa with her to pack it, then went to the boy's room and stood, smiling softly at the sight. Tyler was cuddling the pillow his sister had given him, and kept on sleeping; Jade tiptoed out, not wanting to wake him, and closing the door silently, but she scowled slightly at the tender smile on the other girl. With a roll of soft green, they moved on and left the house

"It was cute of you to kiss him goodnight," Tori teased as they donned their jackets and helmets, "it's been a while since I've seen that soft side of Jade."

"Don't get used to it, Vega," was muttered; she was already on the bike, humming with it, "come, I want to evade that man at all costs."

Tori chuckled softly and sat down, then whispered into the other's ear, "I like that part best..."

Had she really mellowed out enough to Tori for the Latina to have seen that side of her so often? If those words were any indications, it was a yes, and it was slightly worrisome. It was a soft side that, so far, only toddlers and Beck had seen, and Cat had been integral part of. She then realized that, probably, the reason why she wasn't that way with the ditz, was perhaps because she had to deny her brother's memory, as to not hurt her further. But they were good friends, and she couldn't consciously hurt her... Trying to leave those thoughts behind, thoughts that had gone through her head within seconds, she sped up.

Anything else that Tori tried to say was lost to the wind; the Latina did admit to herself that it felt strange not having her hair on the helmet. And it had been so long... She could only image what her parents would tell her, then noticed that it had been the length of Jade's and a strange thought sped through her mind. The Goth was still a virgin, which actually couldn't be, right? But then again, she had been in only one relation, with Beck, for three years... Was the notion so foreign? Would she have the guts to ask?

They stopped at her place, and she took off her helmet, and grabbed her hair, pulling at it, feeling discomfort. With a sigh, she straps the helmet on its place, smiled, opened her mouth, then shut it.

"Spit it, Vega," but it wasn't a threat, more like... a confidante.

"Um, okay," she took a deep breath, then swallowed, "are you a virgin?"

It caught the thespian by surprise, as she blinked several times. "Yeah, I am, but I trust this remains between us."

"Of course..." It also pained her the doubt.

"It wasn't a request or suggestion," came the dry reply, and the raven-haired left.

As soon as the Latina crossed the threshold of her house (she noticed not even _she_ was used to using her own keys...) her parents began to ask about her hair. Really, it was the last thing she needed, but tried explaining as best she could, then excused herself to rest; those kids were a handful, she doubted she would be more tired otherwise. Once she placed her pajamas on, she texted her pale friend, and found herself unable to sleep until she got a text in reply. **Back home.** Nothing else, but it gave her peace of mind, and she fell asleep shortly after.

* * *

A/N: I didn't plan for the hair cut, I swear, that was unexpected for me too

_Up Next_: Solving the hairy mess; for this purpose, Samara is going to play a key role— wait! Who is Samara?


	10. Chapter 8: Jealousy? Seriously?

_Disclaimer_: I do not own Victorious, it belongs to Dan and Nickelodeon. This chapter's inspiration: '_Don't Wake Me Up_' by Chris Brown; song may be subject to future use.

Thanks to my betas: the-original-lovelace and StakeTheHeart for their impeccable job and hard work.

* * *

Chapter 8: Jealousy? Seriously?

Another Wednesday, and after their babysitting adventure and recalling it to Sikowitz, he recognized that another Play Date wouldn't be necessary. They were relieved, until he commented that the two of them spent enough time together as it was. They rolled their eyes at him. Tori was frequently questioned about her hair, and most thought that Jade had done it as she slept. A debate began if, perhaps, Tori would work better as Beast Boy with her hair that short, and Robbie groaned. Then they remembered that everyone had signed up already as their designated heroes, and thought that things were better as it was. But, they had to begin preparing, and this meant dealing with wigs. Not that the Latina was a stranger to those, but among the props, they couldn't find one that was good enough.

"Forget it, we're leaving!" Jade began, fuming, not stopping as she began leaving the room.

"Jade," Beck called as he noticed the hurt look in those hazel eyes, "come on, just a little longer?"

"What are you talking about?" She asked, then rolled her eyes, hating having to explain herself, and she took her friend's wrist, as was common, and began dragging her along. "None of us are staying in this futile search. I'm going to my main hair stylist; I'm sure she'll be able to help."

"Oh," everyone said, and began leaving, "good..."

They all had other things to do, and were glad not to have to spend a futile day searching for some elusive wig. Parting their separate ways, Tori sighed in relief; she had been afraid that the Goth would have left her on her own. They were, indeed, receiving a lot of glances at their constant companionship, but everyone figured it was good for the misunderstood thespian; rarely, others understood her, and it was as if they knew what made the other tick, which was hard enough for the boys. André had taken to helping Cat out, since her parents took her car for giving her brother the keys.

"It's so weird seeing those two so close," they muttered, then shrugged, "ready?"

They smiled at their simultaneous thoughts, and Tori began braiding quickly the long hair, as to not have it whipping her face. Leaving, they began noticing how close the other was, but didn't do anything to stop it, despite the oddity of finding it normal, natural even. This time, their trip took them to the other end of L.A. The name of the establishment was _Freestyle_, oddly enough, although it was obviously very popular and it looked as though people needed appointments. Tori felt out of place and extremely self conscious as they crossed wooden doors; these we styled as the saloons of the wild west, into a very nice antechamber, but they went even further. The Latina felt as though she was intruding, and everyone turned their heads to see them, customers and employees alike, some customers glared and even sneered, as if they knew what would come. And sure enough, someone had arrived to kick them out. She was obviously the one who ran the place, middle eastern features, probably Hindu, but the Latina had no interest in placing her foot on her mouth. The young woman smiled at the Goth, who smiled back, and taking the pale chin in her fingers, they pressed their cheeks, first left, then right. Half the customers became outraged, but obviously the hostess didn't care.

"Jade, Jewel," the woman said kindly, voice soft, "so good to see you."

"I'm glad to be back Samara," she replied, then motioned to the tanned female besides who looked like a fish out of water, "this is Victoria Vega."

"You can call me Tori," she said awkwardly, looking at her hand, then back at the woman, Samara, and she smiled sheepishly, clearly not sure what to do, while catching the amused look on her friend and she blushed.

Beyond the fact that it was a different culture and anything could be offensive, really, it also went that despite the woman's garments being completely traditional, she also had her black hair spiked at the front with blue, green, and red tips, but that the back was mullet like and quite long... Those dark eyes looked black... Definitely unsettling. Awkward wasn't the right word to define the moment for the Latina.

"Welcome Tori, friend of Jewel," the woman said kindly, taking hold of the Latina's chin, as if inspecting her slightly, then pressed their cheeks together, the same motion she had done with Jade, and all the Latina could do was gasp, "you'll always be welcome at my sanctuary."

"Um, thanks," she said, still feeling awkward, and she clasped her hands tightly together, not knowing what else to say, blushing furiously and making her thespian friend laugh at her discomfort, "gee, Jade, thanks..."

"She laughs at more than what you think," Samara whispered, and the chuckling Goth nodded, following the middle eastern woman towards the stairs, where she was guiding Tori, "the second floor is my sanctuary, and not everyone can come here."

Astonished, the Latina nodded, and they were requested to sit on a living room that was virtually empty. There were some drinks being ushered over, along with biscuits, and the Latina couldn't believe how comfortable her friend was with all the women that hovered around the place, as satellites around a planet, that planet being Samara, and some even shifted to accommodate those who stepped within. They all gasped as soon as Jade presented them with one of the bags that she had been given in Lluvia de Café, and, gingerly and delicately, one of them stepped forward and took the bag before bowing deeply, others following suit, even if the Goth waved their actions away with her hand.

"Make sure _only_ Samara drinks it," she warned them sternly, and they nodded eagerly, smiling at the thespian, "off with you all. I tire of your display, and I'm sure Samara has greater need of you."

They smiled again, more softly, and nodded in compliance. She then passed the quiet and still fidgety teen besides her, some biscuits and served her some tea. With a grateful smile, the tanned female ate the biscuit in one bite, and eyes opened in surprised; she took another. She heard some giggling, and noticed that some of the woman saw this and were laughing. Smiling sheepishly, she took a sip and smiled, gaze far away. She then turned to her friend, who was enjoying a different drink. As those hazel eyes looked at the cup with some confusion, the Goth chuckled, and offered her a sip. Taking it, she found the taste to be surprising, and even more so, the fact that her friend actually knew she would like the one she was given best. The one she had was sweet, yet a little bitter on the way down; her friend's was the opposite. More giggling, but the teens ignored them. Then, they began speaking softly.

"So, I assume," Tori began, taking one more sip of her friend's drink; she was halfway through her own, "she's a friend of Jazz."

"And Pablo's heart," the other replied with a nod, and at the surprised look, she moved about, obviously a tad uncomfortable, "it was one of those encounters of love at first sight. He cares for her deeply, and always will."

The Latina nodded, accepting the fact that it was all that her friend was saying about the subject. "She taught you how to work with hair?"

"Indeed she did," the surprise was evident, and she couldn't help the smile that spread through her face as she saw this; it was a rare event, surprising Jade West, "how could you tell?"

"Well, I've gone to one of these once in my life," she replied, smile becoming softer, "and the way they rub the scalp is..."

"Heh," the musician shrugged, unable to express herself beyond that point, but she knew her friend understood, "I worked here for a while, just because I believe that, as actors, no knowledge is irrelevant and can be placed on practice."

"So, if you land a role which is of a hairstylist, you have the ability of performing without much trouble," she nodded, understanding, "can you pierce and tattoo skin?"

"Ha ha," she replied dryly, as her friend laughed, "actually, that's one of the few things I learned I couldn't handle; I like blood as much as the next person" _right_... "but there's something about that blood coming from someone in a voluntary fashion..."

"Ah, I should have guessed such noble reasons," was the reply, they looked at each other, and laughed softly.

"I love it," said a voice, coming from where Samara had been, "as always, impeccable."

"I couldn't agree more," said a different voice, and they both thanked the middle eastern female. "Thanks for helping on such short notice."

And in front of the teens, came Nicole Kidman and Jennifer Lopez. Both women chattering with the other in a friendly manner, looked surprised at the teens, but just smiled candidly before leaving. It was almost through a different door, as though trying to evade a crowd. Hazel went towards the dark eyes of the remaining woman, who smiled kindly at them.

"Emergency styling," she remarked, smiling softly, "one of the reasons why I don't have appointments."

The musician nodded, then rose as the woman indicated her to, and stood in front, being scrutinized.

"Jewel, my dear, did you cut her hair?" Samara asked gently, turning Tori's face to watch her profile, "did you have glue and honey on it?"

"Yes ma'am," came the instant reply, and at the amused look, she blushed, "I mean... Yes..."

"It's okay child," the woman replied, chuckling, then guiding her to sit down before motioning for the other teen to come forward, and the Goth was obviously awkward about it, "you'll have to level it and hydrate the scalp."

"Right away," the thespian replied with a sigh, guiding the brunette towards the only spot where they could begin by washing, and the women about giggled.

"Don't act so excited, Jewel," the older female smiled, kissing the pale forehead as one of the women began placing a towel around the tanned teen's shoulders, "if you need something, my girls will take care of it."

"You must do your rounds, I know," another sigh, but before the Latina could have a say, she gasped at the feeling of the water on her scalp. "She's always so busy..."

"She must like her job..." Tori's eyes fluttered, making her friend smirk at herself.

"That, she does," and they were silent for a while, as a pale hand began rubbing her scalp with some strange mixture, given to her by one of the women; after a while, she went on to answer the question she knew her friend would ask so she decided to beat her to it. "Her family jewel is jade, and as soon as she met me, she has acted like some kind of sister, sometimes going as far as calling herself my surrogate mother; she would go to school instead of one of my parents because I was afraid."

"She sounds like an awesome big sister," the Latina said, chuckling as she thought of Trina, then her semblance turned sad.

"Okay, bad thoughts off," Jade said completely serious, and she began using both hands to massage the scalp, earning a gasp which made her grin, "good huh?"

"Great..." She held back a moan and was grateful for the chance of feeling those fingers again.

The breathed out response made them slightly uncomfortable, and all conversation stopped. All that could be heard were little gasps and sighs as the Goth continued massaging the scalp, and there was nothing the Latina could do to prevent those sounds. Then, it began tingling, and the delicate hands weren't on her; the mixture was taking effect. She bit her lower lip and opened her eyes, just to find lovely green eyes, which would remain that way because of the green highlights on the shirt, and she felt disappointed. The singer then winced as the mixture appear to tighten against her skull, at which point it seemed as though the expected reaction since water was immediately poured on it. She hissed at the burning sensation, then... it was as if the mixture had mint, possibly eucalyptus, as it felt as though it was fresh. Once again, her lower lip had to be bitten, and the way her lids fluttered made her friend nervous, but Tori could only think that those hands felt like paradise. She opened her eyes to see a grim expression on that pale face, and she drooped a little in worry.

"Uh, the glue and honey mixture..." Jade began trying to explain, "you still had some of it. I thought it would get washed away, especially after so long..."

"It's fine, it's out now, right?" It was all she could think about saying.

"Yeah... I should have brought you here sooner," was there guilt in those lovely green eyes?

Tori just chuckled. "I had forgotten all about that incident."

"Really?" A laugh and suddenly, one of the women passed the Goth a towel, "we have to get it dry."

"No shampoo?" That was a first. She sat down as to make herself and her friend more comfortable.

"This mixture takes away all foreign substances," was the reply as she felt the towel being gingerly pressed against her scalp, "all hair products affect the hair, and prolonged use of those can be bad."

"Ahh, you make me proud," Samara teased, "you _did_ learn something."

The thespian rolled her eyes, but obviously just going through the motions.

"Ah, so I guess she _can_ be domesticated," the Latina said, poking her friend softly, and laughing at the gasp and at the older female's laughter, "I guess that's always good to know."

"Vega..." She heard the growl, but simply continued chuckling. "Ugh, anyway... Thanks to it, you should be able to get it wet, but without further care, it should be healthier than ever."

"Is this the secret of your ever great hair?" She just had to know.

"Oh, and I thought you would never notice!" The tone was clearly mocking, but for some reason, those words made her blush. "It's funny, they've tried to commercialize it, trying to get her to sell it. Heh, she always turns them down."

"Yes, every week a different man comes and tries to learn the secret or to get a sample," Samara laughed, remembering their attempts. "Sometimes goes as far as requesting the treatment."

"Only these women," obviously, her friend meant those who stood and waited for instructions, "are the ones who apply the mixture."

"It feels so good, that they forget to try to take a sample," Tori reasoned, just for the gentle pressing to cease, and then the towel was taken from her head.

"Wow, I guess it also makes people smarter," Jade remarked, leaving the towel on the shoulder and her friend playfully threw it in the Goth's direction; it nailed her on the side of the head, "uh, what's with the look, Sam?"

The towel fell on her shoulder, but her heart was beating a bit faster than usual. What was that expression that the middle eastern woman had on her face? As if the playfulness was a welcome change, as if she hadn't acted like that in... forever—

"You spoke with Calvin!" It was almost an accusation, not knowing how to react to anything.

"Well, we try to videoconference at least once a week, or at least have a four way call," she easily admitted, "of course, Pablo just said you had brought a friend over, while Cal spoke of your interactions."

"Ugh, now I remember why I don't introduce you musketeers to _anyone_," the Goth replied, rolling her eyes before ushering a lost Latina towards the cutting station, "I come here every three months to get her treatment."

"I thought you would also do your highlights here," replied the tanned teen, looking confused, but at her words, she could see a mad hostess and a chagrin youngster, and knew she had blown it, "sorry..."

"Jade West," Samara began, sounding mad, and the attendees fled the scene, "Jewel of your brother's heart, I am banning you from all other hair parlors, effective immediately; be thankful its just that."

"Sam—"

"No, not another word," those eyes were like obsidian, and it scared both teens, "you'll get your treatment, but using the _normal_ mixture, not one to hide your roots, you hear me?!"

"But— Cat," the reply was spluttered, and her eyes became emeralds.

"No, she must learn to deal with it as well," Sam replied with a frown, "I'm banning her from all others just like you—"

"You can't do that!" It was a fight of will, but the older woman had the advantage; she had experience.

"Jewel of my heart," those words were laced with feelings, and she obviously meant something else besides what was said; she placed her hands softly and delicately upon the thespian's shoulders, and it was clear that the teen gave up, but of course, the stylist wasn't looking to simply win the fight, "Cat needs to learn other ways of coping, _you_ must learn new ways, and this mean changing wonts to become better. I refuse to allow either of you to get swallowed by the past."

"I know Samara," the older female gave her a short hug, "it's just..."

"Taking you both out of your comfort zones is a must." She insisted, speaking softly. "I'll dye her hair that crazy velvet red, I won't take it away from her just yet, but you... You're ready to return."

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?" It was obvious she wasn't happy at all with the phrasing, taking offense, then she heard someone chuckle, breaking the spell, and she turned to meet hazel eyes. "Something funny, Vega?"

"That speaking of Cat seems to prompt others to speak like her," then it dawned on the other two, and they laughed as well, "well, she isn't too crass, but still."

"And I meant," soft deep grey gazed upon green, "that you're stronger now, and you're ready to begin from ground zero."

"Yeah, okay..." Really, the thespian couldn't muster anything else, they began working on Tori; she had already been given a new towel and an apron, and taking out her prized scissors and a comb from an extended hand, Jade began snipping. "Ah, I can see what you mean, leveling..."

The two females began working on the Latina as she simply relaxed and, at some point, she dozed off. Jade eyes softened as she noticed this, and her entire expression did as well. Unknowingly, dark eyes were watching her closely; obviously, Calvin had gone through in great detail about the girls and their interactions. Samara began smiling and leaving the Goth to care for the brunette hair she was tending. It didn't escape her notice how the thespian was using her favorite scissors to cut the other's hair, something she had refused everyone, and those scissors had only ever cut her dyed hair. She then began searching for a good, red wig that would help the Latina look more like Starfire; their conversation went from a better cut to give to their main reason for arriving. The still sleeping Latina didn't even feel as they adjusted the wig on her, as well as some eyebrows and they finished with some special contacts.

"Tori, wake up," Jade began softly, shaking the shoulders with equal gentleness, "come on, wake up Tori, wake up..."

"Huh?" She began blinking softly, "oh, sorry..."

As she yawned slightly, she heard Samara laughing, "smoothest wake up call Jewel..."

"Shut it," came the grumpy reply, but she just presented the contact case to the other girl, who opened them and looked at either of them incredulously, "look, they are bigger than normal yes, but that's because your character has soft green cornea with emerald irises."

"So... Starfire, right?" She asked, still unsure as she took one contact to examine, then sighed and place it over her eye and adjusting it slightly; her companion gave her a look, "Trina had to wear some for a play."

"Of course," a scoff was heard and she frowned at it, but shrugged it off and began placing the second contact on, "your big baby of an older sister would need you to place them for her."

Everyone turned towards the mirror as she did, and the middle eastern female and the Goth looked impressed. They began going over some details, but as she moved her eyes about, she couldn't see any white. They, were perfect, and Jade took her picture and texted it to everyone and replies soon sounded. The clique approved, and then André sent everyone an imagine with his suit, and when Samara muttered her approval, she immediately texted to Sinjin, everyone else included, words that said it was good he hadn't ruined the suit. André said the boy had fainted, and the correspondence ended on that note.

"Well, you guys are very talented," Samara commented, then placed her hands on the tanned teen's shoulder, "Koriand'r's is about to come to life."

"You read the background, didn't you?" Jade accused at the perplexed face.

"Of course I did!" The reply had to be equally offended, "I come from Tamaran, I gave Robin a kiss as to learn the language of Earth—"

"And you did that already during your second day," the Goth reminded her, as if making sure it didn't happen again; hadn't they broken up?

"Yeah but," she looked back at dark grey, almost black, mirthful eyes, "Kori... What?"

"It's the way your name, Starfire, is spoken in your home world," was the reply, then repeated the name slowly, as to give the girl a chance to pick it up again, "Koriand'r."

She managed on her first try, and beamed at the thespian, who rolled her eyes, but was smiling. They began taking the wig and eyebrows off, as the singer began removing the contacts. Soon, it was all packed, and even though they wanted to leave, it was obvious that Samara wasn't allowing the thespian to get away with the hair mistreatment.

"Do you want a chemical cut?" She demanded, arms crossed as she prevented the teens from leaving or rather, an irritated Jewel from dragging her friend away. "Answer me child..."

"No..." Was the pouting reply; she was weak against that hurt tone and she closed her eyes in remorse. "Please Samara, I... I can_not_ face my honey blonde hair just yet..."

"You'll survive love," came the comforting reply and the pale teen was embraced by the older woman, "I promise you love, you'll survive..."

Tori looked at the floor, not understanding why she suddenly couldn't face the other two. It wasn't like she was intruding in a moment of privacy, it was the fact that she was allowed to watch, but could still recognize it as private, which left her with an awkward feeling. Was she jealous? If so, it would be of Samara but then, did she have feelings for Jade? She risked a glance, and found herself conflicted, heart constricting. Maybe she was, but if so... Was she into women now? Or just Jade? With a soft shake, she discovered her answer: no. They were friends, and they were growing close, so she was jealous was of the bond they shared, nothing else. As she tried averting her eyes, she looked at the soft grey eyes, and it was as if something passed between them.

"Okay, since you attended Tori," Samara began as soon as those hazel orbs averted their path, "now she'll attend you, Jade."

"Wait, what?" They both exclaimed, puzzled; the Goth immediately went to arms length, trying to see how serious the genius was.

"You both heard me," she began pointing Jade in the direction of the washing station, "Tori, I believe you have already learned from the way your scalp was massaged."

Several women began attending Jade, placing a longer towel on her shoulders, as well as picking the long locks and placing it on the basin with uttermost care. She was conflicted; the only one who had ever touched her hair was Samara, and several stylist who highlighted her hair on a little shop on the corner of the neighborhood. It wasn't as prestigious as _Freestyle_, obviously, but they never cut her hair, not that she thought she had to level it yet... Tori and Samara had been practicing on each other's scalp, which was odd since the middle eastern woman wasn't fond of allowing random people to touch her hair, much less her scalp. Soon, the Latina scooped some, granulated grey paste as the women made sure the scalp and hair were thoroughly wet. With the older woman's indication, the tanned hand was soon getting the scalp full of the strange substance, but the thespian sighed in mild pleasure; she hated to admit it but her friend was _definitely_ a fast learner. As soon as her scalp was completely covered, she felt the usual sensation and then the minty one as the paste was removed. As it fell with help of the water and those dexterous tanned fingers, Samara clicked her tongue in mild disappointment. A foul looking yellow color began to slip from it, and she said the brighter it looked, the more chemical damage was done. After that, came the soft drying, and then Samara showed her expertise with the hair dryer and brush. Hazel eyes were locked as she watched from a different chair, taking the tea that the women offered but not the biscuits; they gave her the same tea the Goth had poured her. Somehow, she knew her friend didn't pay for the hair or tats, and the only coffee she had paid for had been Tori's. It was then that she realized it. She was not only jealous of how long they had been friends, she was also jealous of all the 'benefits' it brought them: the nicknames, the familiarity, the fact that they could hug the thespian without fear of a threat... Then again, they were older and treated her as a kid, but she was clearly used to it and didn't get offended. Once the hair was done and Jade stood up, the Latina couldn't help but stare. The thespian began walking towards a full body length mirror; she hadn't worn skirts since she got her ride and she obviously missed it, and those hazel eyes couldn't help but stare at the swaying of the hips, the enchanting shape of her companion and that firm rear...

"I think it's time to let go a bit," Samara said, noticing the increasing length of the dyed hair, "retribution or redemption?"

"Really, getting my hair _that_ short would be..." She winced, but the woman just smiled, not pressing the matter further. "I'll think about it, but it would be redemption, right?"

"Right." Tori had been listening, but had just regained her sanity, but she could tell that she had been caught by dark eyes. "Tori, I hope to see you around."

"Thanks," was all the Latina could muster, breathing the answer out.

As it had happened with the other two, Samara walked them out, and nodded approvingly at the ride. Of course, the young woman wasn't alone, her entire entourage followed her. The middle eastern woman placed the case containing the wig and eyebrows, and a special stand to place the contact case within for those to be secure, and was fastened by the stylist. Saying goodbye as she said hello pressing of the cheeks, both girls donned jackets and helmets, and in the Goth's case, glasses, and they were off.

"She's nice," she felt like kicking herself, but for the first time, her companion only chuckled in reply.

"That she is," she smiled softly at the singer as she unfastened the props, promising to care for them, "hey Tori."

"Yeah?" Came the awkward reply; she had been stopped mid sentence.

"The bombay arrives Friday," she began, just as awkwardly...

"Aren't we supposed to go watch a movie with everyone?" The face was puzzled.

"Well, I refuse to have that many people and _Rex_ inside my house," of course, the frown had to appear; not to mention Cat would have a melt down inside the house, "so I was wondering if you wanted to ditch."

She expected the silence, but not for the tanned teen to notice her blush. "I... It'll be fun, I wouldn't want to miss it." The reply had been hesitant, but the certainty of it made her release the held breath.

With that, and a smile, they parted ways. As she entered her house, Holly made an aggravated noise at the sight of the slightly shorter hair. She wasn't happy that she was spending so much time with Jade, more because she thought that she was being kept from her school duties, not quite so much that she thought the Goth was a bad company. Ever since she became principal, she was adamant that Tori do her best; now she knew from whom Trina got her obsession with reputations.

"Well, at least you got your hair fixed," her mother snorted, clearly a tad disappointed that her daughter was actually up to date and there were no complaints from teachers, "told you your friend hadn't done a good job."

"For your information," the teen began, irritated beyond belief; really, if it wasn't Trina it was her mother? "Jade was the one who evened it out."

"Ohh!" The surprise was clear, then she rose her hands the air, "she's clearly a Jack-of-all-trades, I hope you learned something or another."

"Right, now _she's_ the hero?!" She exclaimed with bitterness. "If you want to be her mother, go ahead, I think I rather have _hers_ instead."

"Do they still have that show in which you can exchange spouses and mothers with another family?" David asked, then laughed at the glances, which were actually serious. "Come now, it ended long time ago."

"Ugh, I'm off to bed," Tori exclaimed, extremely irritated, and as soon as she was in her sanctuary, she placed the case down and jumped in her bed. "What now?"

She frowned at her phone, until she realized it was a text from Jade, to which she replied, grateful to know when her friend made it home. She then saw the update on Jade's Slap, and felt embarrassment; while she had been sleeping peacefully, they had done more than wig her up. Jade had posted a video in which they rub something above her upper lip, and five minutes after, they peel some film without her waking and it came back with some facial hair, not much, but enough for it to be noticed. There were already posts regarding the cream, but plenty of others concerning her facial hair. Really, if she was attracted to that teen, there was something wrong with her. It was then that she noticed her phone had been used to film something, in it was Jade doing the same thing with her own face, also on her eyebrows and on Tori's. With mixed feelings, she decided to edit the vid a little, and posted it in her own Slap. It was when Jade worked on their eyebrows, smiling all the way, then saying: no pain, and all the gain. She kept the part of the clip in which the thespian laughs clearly and honestly to herself, feeling a tad nervous about it. The video caption read: not so mean now, huh West? To which she read the reply: Bite me Vega. She laughed at that, her nerves settling, and threatening to place other videos. 'Idle threats.' 'Really?' 'Yeah, you would have posted it already.' She laughed again, and left it at that as more questions about the cream arose. Shaking her head, Tori knew she couldn't help herself at the wonders Samara could do. She felt good, thinking about Friday in which she would meet the thespian's kitty. She did feel bad about not going to the movies with the clique, but she also knew she couldn't let the chance slip by. It just felt important, somehow.

* * *

_Up next_: meet the cat, and the cat's vet; you think you had it all sorted out but no, it turns out you _don't_.


	11. Chapter 9: Confrontation of Best Friends

_Disclaimer_: I do not own Victorious, it belongs to Dan and Nickelodeon. Also, this chapter's inspiration: '_We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together_' by Taylor Swift.

**Warning**: whatever you read about the cat was totally made up; just a heads up.

Thanks to my betas: the-original-lovelace and StakeTheHeart for their impeccable job and hard work.

* * *

Chapter 9: Confrontation of Best Friends

Friday arrived sooner than expected. They were in Sikowitz' class, waiting for him to arrive. The Goth's bored expression was clear that she didn't want to be bothered, but Beck still sat besides her and on the other side, Tori. The redhead, being as oblivious as always, kept chattering besides André, who sat besides his best friend, and Robbie found himself on a corner, while Rex spoke of the Northridge girls in his loud fashion, those two obviously having some kind of trouble or another. As soon as the teacher appeared with his coconut, after a rather long slurp, his eyes widen in horror and he began ranting about zombies and the apocalypse, how he saw it in a vision and they all had to prove his vision as true. Everyone began fighting imaginary zombies, everyone but Jade of course. But, just before Sikowitz could get in her face, she received a text, at the same time as Tori. Whatever it was, both teens froze but the thespian, not being one to remain doing nothing, stood up from her seat.

"Fudge!" She yelled, not caring about anything now and picking up her bag.

"On Sunday's caramel McDonald's sunday!" Cat yelled back, excited; she visibly drooped at her friend's glare. "I was just saying..."

"Jade, you're not allowed to leave class!" Sikowitz remarked in a booming voice, shocked when he noticed that the tanned girl was following her friend by picking her own bag; what in tarnation?! "Wait—!"

"We got infected!" Jade remarked in a huff before switching targets and now glared at the hazel eyed teen, "come on Tor!"

"I'm ready!" Came the reply, but the pale female had already left the classroom. "Jade!"

The classroom was petrified, as was the teacher. What had just happened? Were they all, perhaps, caught in some kind of vision? Had they all, somehow, managed to travel to an alternate reality? Really, those were the only possibilities, because if there been any kind of emergency for either, it was far too coincidental for them to receive it through text. Besides, Mrs. Vega was the principal, so it obviously wasn't family related, for either if the fact that Ms. West was the secretary was taken into account. ... Well, with Sikowitz, anything was possible. When he shrugged and took another sip from his drink, he sat down and everyone followed suit. He looked awfully calm about things, and Jade wasn't there to point the silence out and get the class going.

"Well, that was one strange vision," he began from his spot in the stage, "I could have sworn that Jade and Tori just left my class..."

Another sip was taken, before Beck awkwardly raised his hand.

"Yes Beck?" He pointed so that the boy would know he meant him, not that there was another Beck, which rendered the gesture useless, as well as his next words, "you may speak..."

"Uhhh, yeah..." He began awkwardly, not used to being the one who pointed the obvious, "they actually left..."

Jade placed her bag on the seat of the bike as she unfastened the helmets, placed hers on and placed Tori's besides her bag. Meanwhile, the Latina undid the straps of _her_ compartment, placed the jackets on her shoulders as she packed her bag and fastened it, just as the thespian began doing the same for her own bag. Placing her friend's jacket in the recently vacated spot on the seat, Tori began donning what she had begun to consider _her_ jacket, and fastening the remaining (and also _her_) helmet, just as the driver put on the leather. They immediately sat in their places and sped off, not a word exchanged. To their fellow classmates, who had been watching from the window (it's Hollywood Arts for crying out loud; everyone just _has_ to be in the loop), their actions looked drilled, and they couldn't help but feel that the pair had grown, if anything, stranger.

What had gotten their blood pumping? Well, a certain kid had promised updates on the bombay that the pale teen was receiving later that day, only for the delivery of the pet to be done earlier at their father's request. This meant no one would be there to receive the feline, since her mother was working. Why would Tori know? During the _Anastasia_ movie, she had bonded with Tyler a little, and enough for the boy to request her number. She had teased him about it, but gave it anyway. Knowing that she knew about the cat (having texted him and requested updates) he had sent them both the same text.

They arrive barely on time to see a van with a pet logo arriving at the driveway. In her hurry, the Goth had forgotten all about the glasses, and was far too preoccupied with her latest acquisition to even notice. While she signed the form, Tori received the carrier, looking at bright, yellow eyes that hissed pitifully at them. Turned out that it was a little old to be a kitty, around seven to nine months. They proceeded towards the house, both not sure what to do next, but they simply opened the carrier once inside. For her part, the pale female had gone to search for several toys, and the bed, which consisted of a box over a scratching post with a circle for opening. Turning her clear blue eyes at her companion, she saw the impressed look and turned around, smirking.

"What, didn't think I'd be _this_ prepared?"

"Duh," that made her turn back around with an arched brow, a string with a bell attached dangling from one hand, the other holding a feather, obviously to tease and antagonize the poor creature, "I didn't think you actually wanted the cat."

A snort follow the statement as she took the black creature and placed the string across its neck, "you're right."

"Although I can see," hazel eyes were watching her with a soft smile, "why you would. Black, yellow eyes, looking like a panther—"

"It's supposed to look like a mini panther," came the aggravated reply, those blue eyes rolling, glinting like sapphires.

"And are also meant to be the easiest to train," it wasn't like she had something to prove, but she didn't like the idea of allowing her friend to think she hadn't researched at all, "meaning a perfect tool to antagonize others."

"Actually, it's main target will be you, Vega," was the smirked reply, but this time, hazel eyes rolled, "oh, you doubting me?"

"Since it'll probably get to know me better than your mom," she winced as she spoke, but the thespian nodded in agreement, "I doubt you'll manage to do just that."

"I guess we'll have to see how it turns out, right?" It was a challenge, and both pair of eyes glinted; she had been distracting the creature with the feather, then she passed it to her companion, who began playing with the kitty. "I'm calling the vet."

The call was a tad bit long. Since she didn't have a car, her mother having taken it to work (imagine if they shared a ride...) and only a bike as means of transportation, she couldn't drive the cat to the clinic. It took a lot of persuasion from her part to convince the good animal doctor to leave the place for a while, and not send a replacement; she immediately promised pain and blood should that happen, and made the statement loud enough for several employees to hear. No one actually wanted to risk to an obvious psycho's house. The doctor didn't take long, and in order to help with the decaying mood, Tori had given her back the toy so she could play with her pet, and she opened the door to greet a woman in white robes, and apologize for everything.

"Nothing to apologize for," the woman replied with a delicate smile, specially when she turned to the dark-haired teen, who wore a snarl, "I assure you, I'm a certified vet, and you need my help."

The woman looked at the cat, and placing her bag down with care, she kneeled and made an odd sound; the cat went to her without hesitation. Jade was clearly impressed, but instead of asking, she began a silent conversation filled with ridiculous hand waving and lip spelling. They continue on for quite a while, the Latina clearly stopping the thespian from actually committing murder. Those ever present scissors come from out of nowhere as far as the tanned teen in concerned, and she actually had to step forward to prevent blood from being spilled. After a while, they actually forgot their guest, but stopped short from shock when the woman chuckles; Tori had to jump, of course.

"As entertaining as your antics are," she began, standing with the cat looking comfortable in her arms, "I must still return to work."

"Would you like something to drink Ms—" A soft frown appeared on the tanned face as a hand covered her mouth, "sorry, Dr.—"

"Breathe," the woman cautioned, her soft green eyes laughing, "I am a doctor indeed, but my specialty are these guys."

"Are you evading the question?" Jade asked, blue eyes narrow.

"No, I'm not," the woman replied, then turned back to the young lady who had opened the door, "water or juice is fine."

"Right," a pale hand actually slapped her forehead with some force but the other teen was already on her way to the kitchen.

"My, she's chipper," green eyes twinkled as she laughed softly, going to the sofa despite the fact that the young woman had her scissors out, "my name is Andrea, Andrea Teie."

Guarding her scissors, she began a search through her phone, and coming up with praises and other things, the thespian found herself nodding and sitting besides the woman and her new cat.

"Interesting career choice for someone in a family of musicians," she commented, petting the cat, "why?"

"Huh," there was praise in the green eyes, "I love music, but I think the gene might have skipped me altogether; I have a good ear, and the finger finesse, but I guess I lacked the vocation and dedication..."

"Heh, funny that your brother also inclined for cats," was the comment, and they socialized a little. "Vega, about damn time."

"Excuse me?" She passed some lemonade to the doctor, then another glass to Jade, and kept the remaining one, still baffled by the comment.

"Thanks dear," the woman said, smiling kindly, then taking a drink to hide her smile; she had stumbled upon quite an interesting pair.

"Oh good, you remembered how I like it," was all the new owner had to say, and at the darkening of hazel eyes, she swatted softly the closest knee, "yeah... Thanks."

"Oh!" It was as if the simple word made everything better; the guest tried hard not to laugh and barely managed to succeed.

"Okay so, this isn't a traditional Bombay cat," she began, placing the drink down and taking a deep breath, "when the breeding of this race began here, several cats were lost and probably flourished in the wild."

"Probably?" Most definitely an interesting choice of words, but the woman just shrugged at the question.

"It was never proved, and even with cases such as this one," she motioned to the black cat who having a little hard time getting used to the bell around its neck, "it can be argued that it's just a street cat."

"What makes you say he's probably from the wild though?" Tori believed her, but she was naïve that way; for her part, Jade was having a hard time swallowing the story, even if she knew the doctor was trustworthy.

"Because of the food in his stomach," she replied, feeling said kitty's belly, "I would say, they found this little guy today."

Both teens looked at her, impressed. She began giving the cat some purging ointment on its back, where he wouldn't be able to lick it off. It also turned out to be male, with nine months and a half of age, and she believed that he was actually from the wilds. She learned what the girls had in store for the black cat and found the accommodations to be perfect, the toys to be adorable, and the training regimen to be quite intense and still methodically planned and incredibly accurate. But what Andrea enjoyed the most, was the interaction between the two teens. They debated names, debated dates to take the kitty for vaccines, debate on the food, the type of food, and many other things. She could tell that the pale one was more controlling and somewhat of a blood loving kind of kid, like a Goth but not the stereotype of it. Meanwhile, the tanned one was more free going, more understanding and more gentle... They were an interesting mix. It was as if they had some kind of truce and odd friendship. She remained more than usual, giving the cat some shots, but in truth remained just to see them arguing. It wasn't until it was two hours later that the thespian realized that the good doctor was still there, mainly because her mother had called and said she would be a tad bit late. How they could still argue about food was beyond them all, specially when it had been a settled kind of dispute in the first place; perhaps it hasn't been as simple as they had thought...

"I'll take the glasses to the kitchen," Jade said, giving her friend a glance.

"Oh! You must be running late," she began candidly, and Dr. Teie began standing from her spot, where she had nursed her lemonade, "thank you for everything."

"It was my pleasure Tori," she replied as she was escorted to the door, "although I must ask..."

"Sure," of course, she had to reply with her easy nature; the woman smirked softly.

"I was wondering, how can the two of you be the best of friends," she glanced slightly to the kitchen entrance, but the glance wasn't too long, "and yet, differ so greatly?"

"Differ?" She was genuinely puzzled. "We don't agree on everything, actually debate everything, but we know each other well."

"I can tell that your meeting wasn't..." She had to figure the right word, after all, their interactions were so solid, and so chaotic, that it could only be acquired through hardships. "I can tell that it hasn't been easy."

"Hmmm, have you seen Hancock?" The question caught the doctor off guard, that she didn't turn when she noticed the raven-haired once again sneaking on the conversation, she just nodded. "It's to recognize the potential, and having faith and persistence of achieving it."

Green eyes shone with understanding, and saying bye, she left. The actress turned, to find her companion scowling and breathing down her neck.

"So, you thought I had potential and—"

"Wait, I didn't say that!" It was an indignant reply, and before her friend could interrupt (she placed a hand on the lips), but as outrage tried to strike she continued, "I spoke of our potential as friends, not you, but us, and in case you haven't notice, I _never_ gave up!"

But Tori couldn't wait to hear what her friend had to say for herself. Muttering _gank_ beneath her breath, she left the house. It was then that it dawned on her that she had no means of transportation, but she felt silly if she returned to the house and asked for a ride. She still caught the good doctor on the way to the car. Before she could even contemplate asking for a ride from a complete stranger, and she was truly considering the idea, cold skin wrapped itself around her wrist, grip strong but not painful. It was a feeling she was used to, but there was a delicate undertone she had never felt before, so instead of shaking the hand off as she would have done before, she simply turned around, puzzled, even more so when the hand didn't pull her back inside but slid to her own tanned hand and began guiding her back inside. Those green-blue, or blue-green, eyes mesmerized her, and even when she went back inside the house, it was as if they were gravitating towards each other; she never took her eyes of those gazing orbs. Didn't even notice how the older woman had noticed them, and was laughing at them with her own eyes, just noticed when the door silently closed behind them, and how they kept holding hands.

"She was laughing, wasn't she?" It was as if the question was just asked to break the muted silence that felt like an eternity but was barely seconds.

"Ah, I thought I had been the only one to notice," really, that was the best she could come up with? Tori felt a blush creeping and like smacking her palm on her forehead, but her hand was currently being held.

As if thinking the same thing, they let go, and bent their knees so they could pamper the cat.

"I still cannot believe you'd name him that..." Her tone was almost accusing, but the Goth could tell there was a playfulness in it.

"Hey, you heard all that load of 'Jesus' being a verb, not noun?" She asked, and at the tanned girl's nod, she smirked, "now _he_ can fulfill that idea."

"Really, what would you do, 'Sic Sinjin'," she mock-pointed at the scratching post, "and that he would just obey?"

"Yes," but the reply was cut short when they noticed that the cat had pounced on the post, and Jade laughed at the other girl's jump, "bravo Vega, but I'm still Siccing him at you."

"Jade!" The reply was alarmed as the kitty, Sic, turned around, apparently understanding his name. "I really don't understand the name!"

She felt sick at the lack of comeback, so said the first thing that came to mind. It was worse when she heard her companion snicker.

"You don't have to."

"Come on Jade," the other asked, petting the black pet as it came back; apparently, he was a sucker for pampers, "please..?"

"Fine, just quit that stupid pout," and she scowled at her own weakness, "it doesn't suit you. Now, I wanted something to do with scissors, but that's too long."

"So it isn't actually because of what it means?" Really, that would be too easy.

"No, but it became obvious once I shortened scissors," she grinned, scoping the cat and placing him on her legs once she sat a the couch. Tori tried getting him to move to her legs, and was thrilled when he did, just to be shot down went he went back and made himself comfortable; the thespian laughed, "try being less skinny Vega, cats like warmth."

Hazel eyes rolled, but she felt a tad apprehensive and a bit more self conscious. "Ha ha."

They went to Jade's room to let the kitten get used to the area. Tori remembered her first time in the room, how she woke up scared at the new environment, a flaw that her mother made sure the Goth would understand as to help her daughter out. The torment was undeniable, but at least the pale teen had helped her out, had brought her out of the guest's room (where her friend made her Slap videos) and into her own. Waking up there had been quite a surprise, especially when she was cuddling a rather adorable teddy bear. The room was anything but what Jade West's room was ever imagined to be: the soft lilac background of the wallpapers simply brought out the violet hued creatures. There were butterflies, fairies, brownies and mushrooms and other such creatures, and the bed was made of light wood along with the other furniture in the room. The first thing she did was wind up all the music boxes in the right order, so that when she turned them on, they would all play the same tune at the same time; the one who had rigged them was, of course, Jazz, and she could tell that it somehow helped the owner be at peace. The teasing of the kitty proceeded until the Latina was called; it was André.

"Hey André—!"

"_Don't you _André_ me girl,_" he began, sounding a tad mad; okay, beyond mad but not quite on livid, "_we cover you and Jade while the both of you, the _both_ of you, run off only _God_ knows where?!_"

"Wait, André—"

"_No!_" He was clearly becoming mad. "_Really, skipping class? Since when Tor, since when?_"

He sounded near tears, and they were quiet, neither knowing what to say. She knew he was right, they were best of friends so really, he would understand, totally understand. When he appeared to have composed himself enough, he took a deep breath.

"_At least tell me you're still going to the movies with us,_" he huffed softly.

"Uh..." She knew it wasn't the right answer, the problem being: there was no right answer. So, before he could hang up as his scoff clearly indicated, she began speaking. "Look, Jade's dad just gave her a cat and she cannot leave him alone, he's a kitten! They sent him over as class began—"

"_She cannot take care of it by herself?!_" He demanded to know.

"Really, can she take care of herself?" The reply was completely serious, calm, and leveled, and at the glare from a pair of sapphires, she felt as though someone had walked over her grave. "Please don't kill me."

"_I hope she doesn't,_" at least her reply had done some good, but she still whimpered as the Goth stood and began stalking her and she knew things wouldn't end up well for her, and perhaps her best friend knew as well, "_okay, I get it; hope you survive._"

"You and me both," was the reply as a pale hand reached over for her phone and ended the call; she whimpered again. "Sorry!"

Her eep was lost when Cat called her, and so the thespian answered and placed it on speaker. Was there no privacy? Why was her personal space being invaded so?! Right, she had pissed her best friend and worst enemy, _great_...

"_Jade! You and Tori are leaving me by myself with the boys?!_" The whine was clear; how the redhead knew that her best friend would answer was beyond the tanned teen.

"Beck, take care of her," she spoke as if the boy was there.

"_Can André help?_" He asked, clearly teasing.

"_Dude__—_" But she had already pressed the red button on the phone.

"What was that about me not being able to take care of myself?" It was a soft and menacing growl; when they had shared the house, she had actually cleaned the bathroom. Sure, it's not quite a big achievement, but considering how sheltered most of them were... "Well?"

"I'm sorry, I know it's beyond the truth but I didn't want to leave!" The rest of the words fell on deaf ears as the Goth began to process what was said; Holy Saint Vega had lied because she didn't want to _leave_... "Please, don't kill me!"

"Ugh, quit the drama," she replied; was there a faint blush on those pale cheeks? "I'm glad you wanted to stay, so we'll leave it at that and never _speak_ of it _ever_ again, deal?"

"Umm, okay?" The reply was dubious, making the pale teen scoff and walk off, clearly mad, until her light blue eyes fell on the kitty and him making himself comfortable on her bed, even though he had his own. "What will you do for Halloween?"

She clearly meant about the cat; Sic would turn ten months. "Your character has a pet larva she calls Silkie, I'm guessing this little guy could go dressed up as well."

They turned towards the bed where said black mammal was twisting upon himself, trying to reach the annoying bell that began tinkling the moment he made himself comfortable. They laughed at his antics, and began fooling around with him with some of the toys. When Ms. West arrived, she went upstairs and brought them some snacks and they spoke to her about getting the cat into an outfit. Jade began having fun tossing ideas around, she felt at peace, so before she left to take her friend back, she turned to face the image of her brother on the wall in front of the front door, and smiled at him. It felt as if peace had finally arrived after quite a while, and her being able to connect with her mother again... Sure, she didn't care much for the woman back then, but she was her mother after all, and even if things had never been great, Jazz never felt closer.

"I meant to ask you," Tori began as they donned their respective gears; Jade was keeping her documents on an inner pocket of the jacket, so she didn't have to take her Gear of Wars bag everywhere, "how did you manage to add color?"

"Windows or walls?" She asked, taking her glasses out and placing them on.

"Both." Even with their helmets on, they could hear each other well.

"I'm entitled some secrets, Vega," was her smirk always so annoying?

They went off. The trip went as normal, as were their actions afterwards, only that this time, Mr. Vega actually wanted to make sure that the Goth was actually whom his daughter told him. She ended up staying longer than usual just to annoy the youngest daughter, and then decided to leave before it grew dark. Jade was surprised at the sight that greeted her; why was Beck there?

"So, you're actually seeing someone else?" He demanded, throat constricted. "You could have told me!"

"It's not what you think—" She began with a roll of eyes, but this action was taken the wrong way.

"Yeah, of course it isn't," he replied bitterly, and she was shocked by his scathing tone, "really, at all the times you could have told me—"

"That I had an older brother and he _died_ when I was seven!?" She demanded, furious. "No, and you had said you wouldn't pry further, and I definitely should have told you about it, but since he isn't part of my life any more and not to mention Cat wouldn't survive a day if all of you knew!"

"I am sorry," he began, his anger leaving up in smoke, knowing that if he wanted to salvage the situation he would have to tread carefully, "I know enough, you don't need to say anything else."

Above all things, he could tell how protective the Goth was of her friends, specially Cat. "Just tell me what you want, Oliver." He winced at the use of his last name and hung his head in shame; when his godfather died, she had known what to say and precisely when, and now he could tell that this was the reason why.

_It's never easy to get over the loss,_ she had told him back then, _honestly, it never gets better._ He knew she was right, and he understood why better now, but it wasn't the way he had wanted to learn. For starters, he still couldn't talk about his godfather, so he couldn't request if he wasn't willing either.

"I guess it's useless to say this but," he began, running a hand through his hair, his mocha eyes speaking louder than he did about his regret and calming the pale teen, "you need to make it up to Cat; she's not used to being alone when we're supposed to be a group."

"I'll take her to get some ice cream Beck," she replied softly, and he smiled, albeit pained, "I promise."

"I want us to get back together," he requested, sounding serious, but she just shook her head.

"Beck, you remind me too much of my brother," her eyes became mellow, the sadness in them was choking, "gentle, caring, you lack his drive but not his passion..."

He stood there, stunned, then the reality of it hit him. "So, all those time you said no..." Tears began streaming, and he hung his head in shame.

"I am so sorry Beck," she was crying as well, but she was mostly mad at herself, "this incest—"

"No, it isn't that," he whispered fiercely, and it quiet her down, "had it been that way, you would have willingly gone through with it, and you didn't! We work more as siblings, I can see that..."

"Beck..." She sighed in regret, but she couldn't deny what she had felt, and he knew it, she could tell due to his chocolate eyes.

"I'm really gonna miss you picking fights," he remarked, crying silently, "and me falling for it, screaming that I'm right."

"And you would hide away and find your peace of mind," she said softly, and they began hugging softly, and their tears didn't give them a chance to speak until later. "We are never ever getting back together."

"Thanks," he replied, giving her a soft hug and a kiss on the forehead, "also; don't hog or corrupt Tori, please."

She scoffed, turning to the house, but smiling back him and drying her tears, "I make no promises."

"For being someone you hate," he began, getting on his ride, "you're spending an awful amount of time with her..."

"Jealous, Beck?" She called, and laughed when he rolled his eyes before going off. Chuckling, she entered the house, and sighed in pleasure at her creations. "Mom, I'm thinking about cutting my hair..."

"Do it next week," her mother called back, worried, "also, I'm making some Thailand food, okay?"

"Great!" Suddenly, Jade was in the kitchen, getting an apron, "you never taught me how to make your famous—"

"Really, I taught you all you might need to cook," the voice was filled with exasperation, "the rest is creativity."

"And technique mother, don't forget technique," the young woman quoted, directly from her, "really, you should open your own restaurant."

"I cook for family, not strangers," it was the same bitter reply as always.

"Get someone to teach," the look on those green-blue eyes, so much like her own, left Amber breathless; it had been ages since she had seen her daughter that way. "How about giving some courses?"

"Well..." She looked about dubiously, giving her back to her child. "You mean like a Home Ec class?"

"There isn't one at Hollywood Arts," she began with a shrug, "besides, it might get them to include culinary as a course; it _is _a form of art after all..."

"So ambitious..." She bumped hips, making the teen chuckle and bump back, "I'll follow your idea."

"Being friends with Holly should help, right?" She looked at her daughter, a tad worried, but the girl was too focused on the cutting up of the vegetables.

"Yeah, it should..." Her profession was costume design, but she had a passion for cooking. "I'll talk to her about it, I promise."

"I'll try to keep Cat from signing," the other grinned, and she laughed at the comment.

"That would be helpful."

The evening was spent making dinner, and by the end of it, Jade felt as if something was missing, some_one_... Since when did Tori became an integral part of her daily life? They had never ate dinner at her place, so why did it suddenly felt as if it was weird she wasn't? Trying to shake the feeling off, it persisted, making her feel uncomfortable with herself. What the hell?

* * *

_Up next_: ready for some Halloween wickedness!? Well, be ready, because first, we need some preparations...


End file.
